Universities and institutions of higher education play a significant role in the scientific, technological, industrial, and economic development of the country. Within this framework, accurate and reliable assessment, prudent management, and the safeguarding of sustainable development of groundwater resources have always been central concerns for experts, managers, and decision-makers in this field. A clear example of this necessity is the need to evaluate groundwater-management levels in order to achieve sustainable development within a given region or aquifer.
In this context, the IASBS Associate Professor of Hydrogeology, Dr Mostafa Naderi, has carried out a research contract with the Zanjan Regional Water Company, running from October 2023 to September 2025, and has succeeded in quantifying the normal and sustainable management level of the province’s groundwater resources and determining the prevailing management class.
The key innovation of this research lies in the fact that, until now, most groundwater-management studies in different regions of Iran and internationally have relied primarily on qualitative descriptions of management conditions, with none undertaking the quantification of management level or the determination of a management class. Another notable achievement of this study is the development of a new modelling-based method for estimating aquifer recharge and the evapotranspiration arising from rainfall and irrigation.
The findings of this research show that groundwater management in Zanjan Province largely falls within the category of mismanagement. The study also revealed that, in addition to stable and mismanaged conditions, groundwater-management status can include quasi-stable and quasi-unstable states. This means that a decline in groundwater levels is not necessarily indicative of mismanagement, and an increase is not always evidence of sustainable aquifer management.
It is worth noting that the Hydrogeology Group of the IASBS Earth Sciences Department, supported by its young and dynamic academic staff, has consistently been active in research and in fostering knowledge-based, industry-oriented collaboration, achieving numerous accomplishments in these fields.
Sun, 30 Nov 2025
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