Optimizing the Main Drainage Channel Route Using GIS: A Case Study of Marvdasht-Kharameh Basin, Iran

Abstract

Efficient drainage canal route optimization is critical for sustainable water resource management, particularly in agricultural basins where effective runoff control and irrigation efficiency are essential. Traditional manual canal alignment methods are time-intensive, laborious, and costly, while fully automated GIS-based methods, despite their hydrological precision, often fail to account for land-use constraints and real-world feasibility. This study employs Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to identify the optimal main drainage canal route in the Marvdasht-Kharameh Basin, Iran, comparing three distinct approaches: (i) a manual method, (ii) an automated GIS-based method, and (iii) a hybrid approach integrating both techniques. The manual method, while flexible, exhibited limited hydrological accuracy, covering only 65% of primary drainage paths. The GIS-based method significantly improved hydrological precision (87%) but lacked practical feasibility considerations. The hybrid approach emerged as the most effective, achieving 94% hydrological accuracy, covering 98% of primary drainage routes, and ensuring full downstream connectivity. The hybrid method optimizes drainage network planning, reduces implementation costs, and enhances agricultural water management efficiency by integrating GIS-based hydrological modeling with expert-driven refinements. The findings contribute to advancing GIS-driven infrastructure planning, providing a scalable, cost-effective framework adaptable to other agricultural basins worldwide.

Keywords

• GIS
• drainage canal optimization
• hydrological modeling
• Marvdasht-Kharameh Basin
• sustainable water management

CBS Kullanarak Ana Drenaj Kanalı Rotalarının Optimizasyonu: Marvdasht-Kharameh Havzası Örneği, İran

Öz

Tarım havzalarında drenaj kanallarının etkin optimizasyonu, sürdürülebilir su yönetimi için kritik öneme sahiptir. Geleneksel manuel yöntemler zaman alıcı ve düşük doğrulukta iken, tam otomatik CBS tabanlı yaklaşımlar hidrolik olarak hassas olmasına rağmen pratik kısıtları göz ardı edebilir. Bu çalışmada, İran’daki Marvdasht-Kharameh Havzası’nda ana drenaj kanal güzergâhının belirlenmesi için üç farklı yöntem karşılaştırılmıştır: manuel yöntem, CBS tabanlı otomatik yöntem ve hibrit yöntem. Hibrit yöntem, CBS modellemesini uzman değerlendirmeleri ile birleştirerek %94 hidrolojik doğruluk sağlamış, birincil drenaj yollarının %98'ini kapsayarak tam aşağı havza bağlantısını garanti etmiştir. Bu yaklaşım, drenaj ağı planlamasında verimliliği artırarak maliyetleri düşürmekte ve diğer tarımsal havzalara uygulanabilir ölçeklenebilir bir çerçeve sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• CBS
• drenaj kanalı optimizasyonu
• hidrolojik modelleme
• Marvdasht-Kharameh Havzası
• sürdürülebilir su yönetimi

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