Document Type : Research Article
Authors
1 Department of Water Engineering, University of Tehran , Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department. Water Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 Professor, Department of Water Engineering and Management, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This study explores the impact of modernizing water distribution systems on the efficiency of agricultural water distribution from surface water resources. While previous studies have focused on technical and hydraulic evaluations of modernization options for irrigation networks, this research uses the life cycle assessment (LCA) method to compare selected modernization options regarding environmental performance. This is crucial given the increasing global focus on the environment and the importance of addressing environmental issues related to irrigation. The modernization options in this study were selected from structural and non-structural methods proposed in previous studies and were evaluated in terms of environmental impact over a 30-year lifespan. The environmental model of each option was developed in SimaPro v.9 software to use the LCA method. The results showed that the highest environmental impacts in all three scenarios were related to global warming potential, particulate matter formation, and human toxicity, respectively. However, environmental emissions were found to be lower in the structural scenario than in the current situation, while the non-structural scenario showed greater reduction. Further analysis revealed that carbon dioxide emissions equivalent had decreased by 9% in the structural scenario compared to the current situation. This is due to the decrease in electricity consumption caused by pumping wells by farmers. Over 99% of carbon dioxide production is due to electricity consumption, so using the structural modernization method during its service life could significantly reduce environmental pollution. Using non-structural methods could also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 22%. Given these findings, the non-structural modernization scenario was found to be the most environmentally friendly among the scenarios examined in this study. The authors recommend that future research use the life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) method, which includes evaluating LCA as an environmental criterion, LCC as an economic criterion, and social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) as a social criterion.
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