Evaluation the Canadian Water Sustainability Index in Ain Al-Tamr district /Kerbala-Iraq

• Main Author: Al-Mohammed, Fadhil M.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Economic conditions; Groundwater; Sustainability; Water balance; Water resources
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0136436

The sustainability and development of water resources is a matter of utmost importance, especially for the countries of the Middle East that are threatened by water scarcity such as Iraq due to the different social, political and economic conditions. The importance of studying the sustainability of water resources for different regions, especially those far from water sources, to achieve a water balance between supply and demand and to ensure the provision of water resources and a safe environment for future generations. For the purpose of studying the subject of sustainability, the studies have come up with a proposal and adoption of many indicators that can be applied in all regions. In this paper, the Canadian Water Sustainability Index CWSI proposed by the policy research initiative PRI was used and applied in the Ain al-Tamr region, which is located in southwest of the holy city of Karbala /Iraq and which is completely fed by groundwater. All data required to calculate the values of the five CWSI components (i.e. resources, infrastructure, ecosystem health, human health, and capacity) were collected according to the PRI assessment method. The weights of CWSI components were determined using a pair-wise comparison method. The results showed that the value of CWSI for the study area was 55.331. It is possible to apply this method to study sustainability after determining the weights of the components.