Water Science and Engineering Research Center
History of the Water Science and Engineering Research Center:
The Water Science and Engineering Research Center is one of the active research centers in fields related to water resources management and hydraulics in western Iran. The center was established in 2013 with two working groups, Water Resources Engineering and Hydraulics, with the aim of conducting applied and fundamental research and providing scientific solutions to address regional and national water challenges. The round-the-clock efforts of colleagues and researchers in carrying out numerous research projects in the areas of water resources management, floods and droughts, water quality, reuse of effluent and wastewater in agriculture, groundwater, and modern technologies led to obtaining the final approval for the establishment of the research center from the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology in 2017.
Dear Researchers, Colleagues, and Students,
Greetings,
The Water Science and Engineering Research Center at the University of Kurdistan was established with the aim of advancing knowledge and modern technologies in the field of water and its resource management. It endeavors to provide practical solutions for the complex water-related challenges at the provincial, regional, and national levels by leveraging the university's scientific capacity and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. The research team at this center comprises faculty members, postgraduate students, and experienced researchers who strive to achieve sustainable water development in arid and semi-arid regions through the execution of national and international projects, the publication of scientific articles, and the localization of new technologies. I invite all of you to collaborate with the research center on the path forward. It is my hope that through our collective efforts, we can take effective measures to address a portion of the water crisis in the region and the country, and make a significant contribution to the scientific and social development in this field.
Greetings,
The Water Science and Engineering Research Center at the University of Kurdistan was established with the aim of advancing knowledge and modern technologies in the field of water and its resource management. It endeavors to provide practical solutions for the complex water-related challenges at the provincial, regional, and national levels by leveraging the university's scientific capacity and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. The research team at this center comprises faculty members, postgraduate students, and experienced researchers who strive to achieve sustainable water development in arid and semi-arid regions through the execution of national and international projects, the publication of scientific articles, and the localization of new technologies. I invite all of you to collaborate with the research center on the path forward. It is my hope that through our collective efforts, we can take effective measures to address a portion of the water crisis in the region and the country, and make a significant contribution to the scientific and social development in this field.
Wishing you continued success and good health,
Dr. Parviz Fathi
Director of the Water Science and Engineering Research Center
The most important objectives envisioned for the establishment of the Water Science and Engineering Research Center are as follows:
- Defining and Executing Applied Projects: Conducting research and investigations related to water challenges such as water scarcity, climate change, and water resources management at the regional, national, and global levels.
- Participation in Provincial, National, and International Projects: Through collaboration with public and private executive and research centers, both domestically and internationally.
- Organizing Scientific Events: Such as national and international conferences, workshops, and specialized meetings to facilitate the exchange and transfer of knowledge and to enhance the skills of researchers, students, experts, managers, and policymakers.
- Development of Modern Technologies: Utilizing new technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), hydrological modeling, and innovative methods for water and wastewater treatment.
- Promotion of Knowledge-Based Innovation and Entrepreneurship: In the management of water resources.
The primary vision of the research center is to be upgraded to the "Water Science and Engineering Research Institute" and to become a leading research hub in western Iran in fields related to water and the sustainable management of water resources. The focus is on solving specific regional and national challenges, such as drought, the drying of wetlands and lakes, climate change, and the quantitative and qualitative decline of surface and groundwater resources. The core challenges on which the research center's vision is focused are:
- The crisis related to the severe decline in the level and quality of groundwater in the plains of Kurdistan province.
- The vulnerability of different regions of the province to climate change (decreased precipitation and increased temperature).
- The need for integrated management of transboundary water resources (especially the Sirwan and Zab river basins).
- Improving water productivity in the agricultural sector.
- Conducting Impactful Research: Developing indigenous models for forecasting droughts, floods, and the qualitative and quantitative changes in surface and groundwater resources; designing adaptation strategies for climate change in the agricultural, drinking water, and industrial sectors.
- Technology-Centric Approach and Innovation: Localizing modern technologies (such as smart water monitoring systems, low-cost treatment methods, recycling, and the reuse of wastewater and effluent in irrigation and industry); integrating traditional water knowledge with modern science.
- Human Resource Empowerment: Enhancing the skills and knowledge of specialists in the field of water and water resources management; creating a network of interdisciplinary experts (engineering, agriculture, basic sciences like geology, and environmental science).
- Engagement with Society and Public and Private Institutions: Providing scientific consultation to executive organizations (such as the Governor's Office, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, and municipalities); participating in national projects, such as those related to the restoration of Urmia and Zrebar lakes and the management of transboundary river basins; collaborating on international projects, such as the management of shared river basins between Kurdistan province and Iraq.
- Expansion of International Collaborations: Establishing effective communication with water research centers in leading countries (such as European nations and the United States) for the transfer of knowledge and technology.
The specialized research areas and axes of this center can be categorized into the following six main pillars:
- Hydrology and Surface Water Resources Management: Including rainfall-runoff modeling in the river basins of western Iran (such as the Sirwan, Zab, and Qezel Ozan basins), studying the impact of climate change on the hydrological regime of the province's basins, and developing new methods for drought forecasting and water scarcity adaptation management.
- Groundwater and Aquifer Management: Monitoring the quantitative and qualitative aspects of groundwater resources in the various plains of Kurdistan province (such as the Qorveh-Dehgolan, Marivan, and Bijar plains), analyzing the causes of groundwater level decline and proposing artificial recharge solutions, and studying emerging pollutants (such as nitrates and heavy metals) in the groundwater resources of the province's plains.
- Water and Wastewater Quality and Treatment: Including solutions for the removal of industrial and agricultural pollutants from water resources, developing low-cost water treatment technologies for rural areas and small residential complexes, and monitoring pollution in shared water resources with Iraq and Turkey.
- Modern Technologies in Water Engineering: Including the application of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in water resource monitoring, designing smart systems for irrigation planning and water consumption management in the agricultural sector, and simulating and optimizing the performance of water conveyance, distribution, and consumption systems using hydraulic models.
- Integrated Water Resources Management: Formulating integrated strategies for water allocation to various consumption sectors, including agriculture, drinking water, and industry; conducting socio-economic assessments of water projects (such as dams and irrigation networks); carrying out comprehensive studies of the province's dam basins; and studying water law and policy within national and international frameworks.
- Water and Climate Change: Including assessing the vulnerability of the province's water resources' quality and quantity to global warming, developing adaptation methods for water scarcity in the agricultural sector (such as cultivating low-water-demand crops), and studying the resilience of aquatic ecosystems (such as Zrebar Lake) through interdisciplinary projects.
The organizational structure of the Water Science and Engineering Research Center at the University of Kurdistan is presented in the figure below.
Dr. Parviz Fathi
Director of the Water Science and Engineering Research Center
Field of Study: Irrigation and Drainage Science and Engineering
Academic Rank: Associate Professor
Research Interests: Water productivity, micro-irrigation, hydroinformatics
Email Address: P.fathi@uok.ac.ir
Personal Webpage: https://research.uok.ac.ir/~pfathi/ Research Groups:
1- The Water Science and Engineering Research Center comprises the following two research groups:
- Water Resources Engineering
- Hydraulics
2- Research Laboratories associated with the Water Resources Engineering Research Group:
- Water Quality Laboratory
- Hydrology and Water Resources Laboratory
- Meteorology and Climatology Laboratory
3- Research Laboratories associated with the Hydraulics Research Group:
- Water Research Hall
- Hydraulics Laboratory
- Hydromechanical Laboratory
- Pressurized Irrigation Laboratory
The list of ongoing and completed research projects conducted at the Water Science and Engineering Research Center is presented in the table below.
No.
|
Project Title
|
Client/Sponsor
|
Completion Year
|
Researcher's Name
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strategies for Improving the Efficiency and Performance of Classic Fixed Sprinkler Irrigation Systems in the Province (Case Study: Dehgolan Plain)
|
Kurdistan Province Management and Planning Organization
|
2016
|
Dr. Isa Maroofpour
|
| 2 | Project for Equipping the Water Quality Laboratory of the Water Science and Engineering Research Center at the University of Kurdistan
|
Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology
|
2016
|
Dr. Parviz Fathi
|
| 3 | A Study of the Geo-environmental Effects of Toxic Elements (Pb, Sb, Hg, As) on Groundwater Quality in the Qorveh-Bijar Region
|
Kurdistan Regional Water Company
|
2018
|
Dr. Ramin Sarikhani
|
| 4 | Time Series Simulation of Annual and Monthly River Flow Data Using Stochastic Models (Case Study: Sirwan River Basin)
|
Kurdistan Regional Water Company
|
2018
|
Dr. Matlab Bayzidi
|
| 5 | Assessment of Recharge and Discharge Factors on the Behavior of the Groundwater Resources System of the Dehgolan Plain
|
Kurdistan Regional Water Company
|
2018
|
Dr. Parviz Fathi
|
| 6 | Investigation of the Origin of Chironomid Larvae in the Sanandaj Water Treatment Plant and Presentation of Solutions for Their Removal
|
Kurdistan Province Urban Water and Wastewater Company
|
2018
|
Dr. Hamed Ghobari
|
| 7 | Process Improvement at the Kurdistan Province Urban Water and Wastewater Company to Facilitate and Expedite Operations
|
Kurdistan Province Urban Water and Wastewater Company
|
2018
|
Dr. Abdulsalam Qaderi
|
| 8 | Water Resources Management and the Associated Urban Crisis: A Sociological Analysis of the Situation of Water Subscribers under Stable Conditions and its Management in Emergency Situations (Case Study: Urban Water Subscribers of Kurdistan Province)
|
Kurdistan Province Urban Water and Wastewater Company
|
2018
|
Dr. Hossein Daneshm-ehr
|
| 9 | Evaluation of the Performance of a Drip Irrigation Filtration System When Using Trout Effluent
|
Center for International Scientific Studies and Cooperation (ICRP)
|
2021
|
Dr. Isa Maroofpour
|
| 10 | Studies and Assessment of the Extent and Rate of Land Subsidence in the Province's Plains Using Remote Sensing
|
Kurdistan Regional Water Company
|
2021
|
Dr. Bahman Kurd
|
| 11 | Ecological and Limnological Study of the Zrebar International Wetland with the Aim of Proposing Restoration Strategies
|
Kurdistan Province Department of Environment
|
2022
|
Dr. Khalid Ousti
|
| 12 | A Diagnostic Study of the Environmental Awareness of Farmers and Stakeholders in the Eastern Plains of Kurdistan Province Regarding Water Resources Management, and the Proposal of Community-Based Methods to Enhance Social Sensitivity and Participation, with an Emphasis on Optimal Models for Knowledge Enhancement and Public Information Dissemination
|
Kurdistan Regional Water Company and the Ministry of Science (SATA) - National Project
|
2022
|
Dr. Hossein Daneshm-ehr
|
| 13 | Investigation of the Feasibility of Biological Wastewater Treatment Using a Combined Phytoremediation and Aquaponics Method
|
Kurdistan Regional Water Company and the Ministry of Science (SATA) - National Project
|
2022
|
Dr. Habibollah Mohammadi
|
| 14 | Studies on the Estimation of Agricultural Sector Consumption and the Review of Water Resource Allocations within the Lake Urmia Basin and a Portion of the Sefidrud Basin in Kurdistan Province
|
Kurdistan Regional Water Company
|
2022
|
Dr. Saman Nikmehr
|
| 15 | River Discharge Estimation Using Remote Sensing
|
Kurdistan Regional Water Company and the Ministry of Science (SATA) - National Project
|
2022
|
Dr. Saman Nikmehr
|
| 16 | Evaluation of the Remote Sensing Technique for Estimating Suspended Sediments in Rivers
|
Kurdistan Regional Water Company
|
2023
|
Dr. Payam Khosravinia (Thesis Support)
|
| 17 | Investigation of the Impact of Land Use on Watershed Runoff
|
Kurdistan Regional Water Company
|
2023
|
Dr. Younes Khoshkhou and Dr. Hadi Sanikhani (Thesis Support)
|
| 18 | Study of the Water Quality Monitoring Network in the Lake Urmia Basin within Kurdistan Province
|
Kurdistan Regional Water Company
|
2023
|
Dr. Saman Nikmehr
|
| 19 | Water Quality Modeling of the Qeshlaq Dam and its Upstream Basin
|
Kurdistan Regional Water Company
|
2023
|
Dr. Habibollah Mohammadi
|
| 20 | Development of a Comprehensive Plan for the Quantitative and Qualitative Monitoring of Zrebar Wetland Water
|
General Directorate of Environment of Kurdistan Province
|
2024
|
Dr. Shirkou Ebrahimi
|
| 21 | Feasibility of Producing Organic Fertilizer from the Sludge of the Sanandaj Wastewater Treatment Plant (Ongoing)
|
Kurdistan Province Water and Wastewater Company
|
2025
|
Dr. Zahed Sharifi
|
Authored and Translated Books:
No.
|
Book Title
|
Authors
|
Year of Publication
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water Resources Management of Iran (Linking Ecology with the Water Cycle for Land Sustainability)
|
Dr. Mohammad Karamouz, Dr. Parviz Fathi
|
2016
|
| 2 | Water Governance (Governmental, Legal, and Statutory Structure of Water Resources Management)
|
Dr. Mohammad Karamouz, Dr. Parviz Fathi, and Dr. Kiasat Amirian
|
2016
|
| 3 | Water Resources Management (Quantitative and Qualitative Assessments, Models of Environmental Challenges)
|
Dr. Mohammad Karamouz, Dr. Parviz Fathi, and Kamal Taheri
|
2016
|
| 4 | Water Resources Management (Hydrology, Economic Value of Water, and Water Systems)
|
Dr. Mohammad Karamouz, Dr. Parviz Fathi
|
2016
|
| 5 | Extreme Events Management
|
Dr. Mohammad Karamouz, Dr. Parviz Fathi
|
2016
|
| 6 | Application of Fluent in Simulating Hydraulic Problems
|
Dr. Mohammadreza Nikpour and Dr. Payam Khosravinia
|
2016
|
The Water Science and Engineering Research Center at the University of Kurdistan offers a variety of services in the field of water, leveraging the expertise of its faculty members and its laboratory facilities. These services primarily include the following:
1. Specialized Laboratory Services:
- Measurement of physical water parameters (e.g., temperature, turbidity, electrical conductivity, TDS, etc.).
- Measurement of chemical water parameters (e.g., COD, BOD, pH, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, phosphate, heavy metals, anions, and cations, etc.).
- Measurement of biological water parameters (e.g., total coliforms, fecal coliforms, etc.) in water samples (from surface and groundwater sources), wastewater, and effluent.
- Measurement of soil-water related parameters (e.g., soil texture, saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil saturation moisture, moisture content at field capacity and wilting point, cumulative depth and rate of water infiltration, bulk and particle density of soil, and some effective chemical parameters).
- Measurement of plant parameters and indices related to water requirements and water stress.
2. Research and Study Services:
- Water Resources Research and Studies: (e.g., quantitative and qualitative assessment of surface and groundwater resources, watershed hydrology).
- Water Resources Management: (e.g., optimization of water allocation, determination of water requirements for different sectors (agriculture, domestic, industry, and environment), assessment of climate change impacts on water resources).
- Hydraulics and Hydraulic Structures: (e.g., design and analysis of water conveyance systems (channels and pipes), modeling of flow and sediment in rivers and hydraulic structures, flood studies and control).
- Irrigation and Drainage: (e.g., design and management of irrigation and drainage networks, design and management of pressurized and surface irrigation systems, on-farm water management, evaluation of different irrigation and drainage systems).
- Unconventional Water: (e.g., studies on the treatment and reuse of treated effluent and wastewater in agriculture and green spaces).
- Water and Environment: (e.g., study of the environmental impacts of water projects, pollution of surface and groundwater, protection of water resources).
- Modeling:** (Using hydrological and hydraulic models to simulate and predict the quantity and quality of surface and groundwater).
3. Consulting and Technical Services:
- Consulting on water resources management, water productivity, and adaptation to water scarcity.
- Consulting on the design and implementation of irrigation and drainage projects.
- Consulting on water and effluent treatment (especially for agricultural use).
- Consulting on the monitoring and control of water resource pollution.
- Providing scientific solutions to address water challenges.
- Technical supervision and evaluation of water projects.
4. Educational and Promotional Services:
- Organizing specialized short-term training courses (workshops and seminars) for engineers, experts, and farmers in various fields of water science and engineering.
- Providing practical training on new water and irrigation technologies, on-farm irrigation management, water measurement, etc.
- Preparing research publications and technical guides.
- Holding specialized meetings and think-tank sessions on regional water challenges.
5. Conducting Custom Research and Study Projects for Public and Private Organizations and Institutions such as:
- Governor's Office (Disaster Management Division)
- Regional Water Companies
- Jihad-e-Agriculture Organization
- Water and Wastewater Companies
- General Directorate of Environment
- Meteorological Organization
- General Directorate of Watershed Management and Natural Resources
- Municipalities
- Industrial Estates requiring water management or water treatment
- Organization of Industry and Mines
- Agro-industrial complexes
- Large-scale greenhouses
The Water Science and Engineering Research Center at the University of Kurdistan is equipped with facilities and equipment for research and study in various fields of the water industry, including hydrology, hydraulics, water quality, and water resources management. Utilizing this equipment and these facilities, the center implements numerous provincial and national projects. Some of the research equipment and facilities at this center are as follows:
1. Specialized Laboratories:
- ydraulics Laboratory: Includes open-channel flumes, devices for measuring water velocity and discharge, etc.
- Hydrology and Water Resources Laboratory: Includes devices for measuring the amount and rate of water infiltration into soil, soil hydraulic conductivity, etc.
- Water Quality Laboratory: Includes devices for measuring the physical and chemical parameters of water and effluent, etc.
- Research Hall: Features a large open channel, a pumping station, and precision instruments.
2. Hydroinformatics Site: Equipped with software for hydrodynamic and water quality simulation, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and aerial photo interpretation, and numerical simulation and artificial intelligence systems for drought and flood forecasting.
3. Field Research Equipment: Includes portable devices for measuring river discharge, water quality monitoring, and water sampling equipment.
1. Domestic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs):
- MoU with the Kurdistan Regional Water Company
- MoU with the (former) Kurdistan Province Rural Water and Wastewater Company
- MoU with the (former) Kurdistan Province Urban Water and Wastewater Company
- MoU with the Kurdistan Province Water and Wastewater Company
2. International Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs):
- MoU with LKT company from Germany to hold a 7-day series of workshops and seminars on new technologies for wastewater treatment in small residential complexes.
Website: https://uok.ac.ir/web/water-sciences-engineering-center
Email: KWSC@uok.ac.ir
Address: Water Science and Engineering Research Center, University of Kurdistan, Pasdaran Street, Sanandaj, Iran
Phone: +98 87 33620552
Fax: +98 87 33620553
Office Hours: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Phone: +98 87 33620552
Fax: +98 87 33620553
Office Hours: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
