Muscat: In the 11th National Research Award organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, a notable project titled ‘A Robust Decision-Making Framework to Improve Reservoir Water Quality Using Optimised Selective Withdrawal Strategies’ received recognition in the Environmental and Biological Resources category for PhD research. This project was led by Dr. Mohammad Reza Nikoo, an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU).
Dr. Nikoo highlighted the challenges of enhancing water quality from reservoirs in arid regions like the Sultanate of Oman. The research, centered on the Wadi Dayqah Dam, sought to establish effective operational guidelines for water release that align with the quality and quantity needs downstream.
The objective of Dr. Nikoo and his research team was to enhance reservoir water quality, pinpoint vulnerable outlets, determine optimal release strategies, and bolster resilience against climate change effects. They employed a combination of multi-objective optimization (NSGA-II), the CE-QUAL-W2 model, and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to simulate and refine water withdrawal strategies.
The Robust Decision-Making (RDM) framework developed in this study identified at-risk outlets and appropriate water release ratios across various climate change scenarios. The results indicated that utilizing multiple reservoir outlets can significantly lower pollutant concentrations and enhance overall water quality.
Water discharged from low and mid-level outlets is more susceptible to contamination than that from surface outlets. Implementing a strategic approach that involves releasing smaller volumes from lower outlets and larger volumes from upper outlets can improve operational stability and resilience.
In this research, Dr. Mohammad advocated for the adoption of adaptable and optimized water release strategies in response to changing climate conditions to ensure dependable water supply. The findings were published in the Journal of Hydrology in 2024, which has an impact factor of 6.4.
The research team includes Dr. Mohammad Reza Nikoo, Ms. Nafiseh Bahrami, Prof. Kaveh Madani, Dr. Ghazi Al Rawas, Dr. Sadegh Vanda, and Prof. Rouzbeh Nazari.
In relation to his achievement, Dr. Mohammad Nikoo remarked that receiving the National Research Award is a profound honor that underscores the significance and influence of their research. He expressed that it motivates him and his team to persist in developing innovative solutions to tackle pressing water and environmental management issues. This recognition reflects their collective efforts and encourages further contributions to both science and society.
