WATER EVAPORATION FROM THE 16 TISHRIN RESERVOIR IN SYRIA: VOLUME MEASUREMENT AND ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Abstract

Purpose: to study the phenomenon of evaporation from the 16 Tishrin reservoir in Syria and a comprehensive analysis of its volume measurement with an economic consequence assessment. Materials and methods. The study used CHIRPS (Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data) daily precipitation data, MODIS MOD16A2 (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) evaporation data, and Sentinel-2 satellite data to estimate the area of the reservoir surface using the algorithm MNDWI (Modified Normalized Difference Water Index) for the period from October 2021 to September 2022. Using the Microsoft Excel program, the reservoir storage and the water levels in it were determined for each month of the hydrological year. Results. Results of this study provide important information about the amount of water lost by evaporation from the surface of the 16 Tishrin reservoir in Syria. The total amount of water lost to evaporation amounted to 5.7 million cubic meters/year. This significant amount of evaporation results in economic losses estimated as $856,946.25/year. The abovesaid highlights the urgent need to implement strategies to minimize economic impacts and optimize water management. Conclusions. Understanding the losses and economic impact of evaporation is critical to effective water management. By solving these problems and making informed decisions based on the calculated economic damage, it is possible to increase the preservation of water resources in the 16 Tishrin reservoir and the lower reaches of the Al Kabir Al Shamali river.

Keywords

• chirps
• 16 tishrin reservoir
• mod16a2gf
• sentinel-2
• evaporation
• evaporation losses
• economic damage
• mirror area
• water-surface area
• мndwi