Work

Estimating the volume of evaporation from the main dams of Iran

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Freshwater scarcity poses a critical challenge in arid and semi-arid regions such as Iran, where evaporation from dam reservoirs contributes substantially to water loss. This study quantifies evaporation volumes from 117 major Iranian reservoirs using a combination of six empirical models and four satellite-based datasets (MODIS, GLDAS, SEBAL, and ERA5). Observational data from 339 synoptic stations were used to validate model performance using statistical indices (R² and RMSE). Among empirical models, Penman-Monteith achieved the highest accuracy (R² = 0.54, RMSE = 688 mm), while SEBAL and ERA5 demonstrated superior performance among satellite products (R² > 0.91, RMSE < 13 mm). Estimated annual evaporation volumes ranged from 2.2 to 2.8 billion cubic meters, with MODIS showing consistent underestimation. The highest evaporation losses were observed in southwestern and southeastern provinces, particularly Khuzestan and Sistan-Baluchestan, which face concurrent water scarcity. The findings emphasize the value of hybrid modeling approaches and satellite integration for national-scale hydrological assessments. This study provides a practical framework for improving water resource management and adapting to climatic variability in data-scarce environments.

Source: Results in Engineering

DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2025.107057

Authors: Behzad Ghiasi, Hadi Ramezani Etedali

Institutions: University of Tehran, Imam Khomeini International University

Language: English

Topic: Hydrology and Drought Analysis

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Clean water and sanitation, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,940