Overview

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia)

The studies conducted by the Water Section of the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals have been oriented towards solving the immediate and growing water challenges confronting private and governmental agencies in different regions of the Saudi Arabia. The implementation of the developed scientific technologies have contributed significantly to solving different types of water challenges and in improving the management and utilization of conventional and non-convention water resources. The original and new findings of these studies have added to the scientific knowledge to local and international researchers and specialists in different areas of water resources.

The Water Section has completed more than sixty funded applied research projects for private sector and public organizations. This has included coastal aquifer management, groundwater assessment and development, aquifers characterization, well and well field designs, surface water management, industrial water treatment and reuse, irrigation water management and water conservation.

These research projects have lead to major improvements of water utilization and management in agricultural, industrial and commercial projects in different regions of the Kingdom. Examples of theses studies have included the followings:

1. Development and implementation of new computer models for unsteady flow simulation and distribution in complex multi branched open canal system for Al-Hassa Irrigation and Drainage Project.
2. Introduction and successful implementation of new treatment technologies for brine wastewater in industrial plants in the Kingdom.
3. Development and successful implementations of new groundwater management and pumping schemes for the protection of groundwater quality and levels in multi-aquifer systems in several rural and urban areas under long-term excessive water withdrawal conditions in several parts of the Kingdom.
4. Investigation and proposed successful solutions for shallow groundwater table conditions in local urban areas.
5. Development and successful implementation of new computer models for operation and managements of groundwater for irrigation in major agricultural projects containing large number of wells and cropped fields.
6. Assessment of fresh groundwater resources for drinking purposes in the Kingdom. 
7. Assessment of groundwater quality and pollution control in aquifer systems.
8. Assessments of the impact of possible climate change on water resources and desertification in the Kingdom.
9. Assessment and testing of new materials for agricultural water conservation.
10. Development of regional water management schemes.
11. Decision support systems for national water planning and management.
12. Decision support system for groundwater development, operation and management.

Winner Profile

The Center for Water and the Environment is located at the Research Institute of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and is often referred to as the KFUPM WATER SECTION. 

• Water resources assessment and development
• Modeling of surface water systems.
• Application of remote sensing in water resources.
• Use of GIS in water resources planning and management.
• Design of hydrological networks.
• Weather modification impacts on water resources.
• Water legislations and regulation aspects of water resources
• Water resources economics.
• Water quality assessment
• Water conservation.
• Training on water technologies.

Groundwater Management:

• Groundwater exploration, assessment and development.
• Aquifer characterization and assessment.
• Development of groundwater flow and salute transport simulation models.
• Design and operation of underground strategic reservoirs.
• Design of well and well fields.
• Development of groundwater abstraction policies.

Irrigation Water Management:

• Modeling of Crop irrigation requirements.
• Irrigation water scheduling and operation
• Dynamic operation of irrigation systems
• Decision support system for irrigation water planning.
• Irrigation Automation.

Urban Water Management:

• Watershed Modeling in urban areas
• Control of shallow water table rise in urban areas.
• Wastewater reuse model.
• Decision support system for urban water planning.
• Leakage detection and control.
• Management of urban Water and wastewater networks

5) LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF THE WATER SECTION

The applied research experience and the successful accomplishments of the WS in water resources studies, training, consultations and publications with regional water, offices, agricultural companies, industrial organizations, and international organizations have resulted in the following types of recognitions for the Section. 

• Membership of the Governing Board of the IHE-UNESCO Water Institute, Delft, Netherlands.
• Membership of the Advisory Board of the United Nations University/the International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU/INWEH), McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
• Membership of the Advisory Board of the United Nations University/the International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU/INWEH),
• Membership of the Governing Board of the UNESCO Water Research and Training Center in Cairo,
• International Scientific Evaluation Board of the International Hydrology Program of the UNESCO.
• Directorship of International Water Resources Association (IWRA). 
• Appreciation letters from the clients
• The Water Section has won Five national and international awards in recognition for the research accomplishments.

Winning Work

1. Development and management of the Dammam Aquifer in Eastern Province.

This research study has dealt with the development of better management plan for Dammam aquifer. It has used advance numerical techniques in groundwater flow simulation model for the aquifer. Further, it has defined the optimal groundwater pumping in terms of pumping quantities and pumping fields from this coastal aquifer on regional level. The Dammam aquifer is capable of meeting the projected water demands in the region for reasonable period of time if a proper management plan is implemented. The data presented in this study has become a useful base for further research and management actions.

2. Numerical Modeling of a Multi-Aquifer System in Eastern Province.

This comprehensive study was carried out to improve the management of the coastal multi aquifer system on regional level that included the Umm Er Radhuma aquifer in addition to Dammam (considering khobar and Alat as separate units) mainly in Greater Dammam-Khobar-Dharan-Abqiaq Metropolitan areas. A numerical quasi-three-dimensional groundwater flow model was constructed for the multi- aquifer system to determine the hydraulic properties of the system including interactions among them, and to evaluate the consequences of various development and pumping alternatives. The model results indicated that the adoption of a demand management strategy, by gradually introducing a comprehensive program of conservation measures, would be more effective in ensuring the long-term productivity of the aquifers. The original modeling approaches and findings of this study have contributed to the improvement of understanding of the coastal aquifers in the Province on regional level.

3. Regional Coastal Aquifers Management in Eastern Province.

A regional numerical simulation model of a multi-aquifer system of a larger scale in the Province covering an area of about 76,000 Km2 was developed to assess the behavior of the aquifer system under long-term water stresses over a planning horizon of 31 years (1995-2025). The study has included the Dammam (as single unit) and Umm Er Radhuma (UER) aquifers. The main objective of the study was to have better understanding of the hydraulic features of the multi aquifer system on larger scale and assess the impacts of long-term stresses on future groundwater. This was to help in selecting the best management scheme which protects the aquifer productivity concurrent with the comprehensive development of the Kingdom. The area selected for the study includes more urban centers such as Qatif, AI-Hassa, AI-Fadhli, As-Sarrar, Wadi AI-Miyah and AI-Hunay. It contains more than 80% of the population of eastern Saudi Arabia, who are mainly concentrated in Dammam, Dhahran, Jubail, AI-Khobar, AI-Hofuf, Abqaiq and Qatif municipalities. This area contains the largest portion of the Kingdom's oil fields and refineries. Model results postulate that dewatering of the Dammam aquifer will occur at low productivity sites and along the outcrop with the current trend towards increasing abstraction. The UER will exhibit significant cones of depression at large irrigation projects. Aquifer dewatering and drawdowns will be minimal with the conservation alternative. This management scheme was a guide for the future development and protection of groundwater in the province. The study showed that water recharging in these coastal aquifers is insignificant. Results of the groundwater management model indicate that the implementation of conservation methods with a 30% reduction in the well fields of the agricultural, industrial and municipal sectors will be more effective in reducing the drawdowns by the end of 2025. The methodology used in this study can also be extended to other coastal sites in the Kingdom and elsewhere in the arid countries to improve groundwater management in coastal aquifers and to protect the quality of groundwater and the productivity of the depletable aquifers.

4. Management of Coastal Aquifers Under Complex Structural Geological Features of Dammam Dom.

This study was carried out as a necessity for understanding the hydrogeology of specific complex geological structures within specific localities such as Greater Dhahran Area on top of Dammam Dom. The use of numerical techniques to define the detailed groundwater budget analysis for each individual aquifer in a multi-aquifer system under steady state and transient conditions has not been well established in the literature prior to this research study. In this work, numerical analysis has been used to define the water budget for each individual aquifer in a multi-aquifer system in the complex locality of Greater Dhahran Area. This area represents a complex hydrogeological system due to its complicated geological structures. Each aquifer like the Alat, the Khobar and the Umm Er Radhuma were considered as an individual unit within a multi-aquifer system. USGS groundwater model MODFLOW was used to calculate the total volumetric groundwater budget in terms of inflows and outflows for the whole multi-aquifer system during steady state and transient conditions. Then, a special program MODCELL was used to calculate the volumetric inflows and outflows of each cell of individual aquifer within the modeled area under steady and transient conditions. This program utilizes the output of MODFLOW to calculate the groundwater budget of each cell. Finally, a utility module CONVML was used to convert the output data files of MODCELL which contain the detailed budget of each aquifer fr om binary to ASCII formats. In this research work, a special program was developed in order to make the output files of MODCELL compatible with CONVML format requirements. The outcome and findings fr om this study was important addition to the scientific knowledge of the complex hydrogeology of these specific coastal localities. It has been of great help in developing sound schemes for groundwater pumping fr om different localities within Greater Dhahran-Dammam areas. The developed study tools have been used by other specialists to understand the complex hydrogeological features.

5. Dynamic and Computerized Decision Support System for Management of Groundwater fr om Coastal Aquifers for Irrigation Purposes in the Eastern Province.

Proper management of fragile coastal aquifers is important for long-term sustainability of groundwater resources and agriculture developments. This requires effective decision support system based on aquifer characteristics to forecast the short-term and long-term impacts of different groundwater pumping scenarios for irrigation on aquifer conditions. This helps in adaptation of suitable cropping and irrigation policies for small and large irrigation scheme on the basis of the aquifer productivity and the negative impacts on its properties. This is necessary to avoid unacceptable impacts on coastal aquifers in terms of quality and production. Furthermore, proper irrigation water scheduling and operation results in minimizing water demands and fuel use and reduction in the costs of irrigation operation. Minimizing water losses and reduction of irrigation water demands by the use of advanced and proper techniques in the management of groundwater resources and irrigation water at farm level is essential to protect groundwater resources and agricultural activities. This includes the advance sel ection of type of crops to be cultivated and the area of each irrigated field fr om each well and the number and spacing between wells on the bases of proper assessment of groundwater conditions in local aquifers, and according to their long-term capabilities for irrigation water production at well and farm level, which results in minimal negative impacts on groundwater level and quality. This should also be coupled with effective irrigation water scheduling according to the actual crop water requirements to avoid excessive irrigation water use and losses. In this study a new dynamic computerized Decision support system was developed to operate and manage the pumping of groundwater fr om multi-aquifer system in a large coastal agricultural project. The System consists of two integrated parts namely: the Groundwater Simulation Model (GSWM) and the Computerized and Dynamic Irrigation Management System (CDIMS). The CDDSSGM system defines in advance, the suitable size of cultivated fields, the well distribution and pumping policies, to avoid negative impacts on water level and quality on the basis of groundwater flow simulation model of the local aquifer. The CDIMS defines the irrigation water requirements of various crops and fields and the doses and timings between irrigation applications for the cultivated crops at farm level. It can be used for different types of irrigation methods, with possible water supply shortages and considering different soil types and contributions fr om rainfall and shallow groundwater table for the sel ected agricultural region; and the farming practices. The developed system was implemented to reduce and minimize the pumping of groundwater fr om the coastal aquifers for irrigation in the Eastern Province. The implementation of the study has resulted in significant reduction in groundwater pumping (about 25% to 35%) in large agricultural projects fr om the coastal aquifers in the Province. The developed new scientific techniques have also been utilized by other specialists to improve water management in other large agricultural projects locally and internationally.