Environmental impact assessment (EIA) of inter-basin water transfer (case study of water supply from Kocheri dam to Qamroud tributaries)

Master's thesis in the field of civil engineering

Trend of river engineering

Abstract

The lack of water resources and the poor quality of drinking water in the city of Qom due to the forecast of warming climate and excessive increase in population, as well as the lack of a reliable water source within the limits of this province, reveal the necessity of carrying out a plan to transfer the water needed by the city of Qom from the western tributaries of Dez to Qomrud. In this research, by collecting data and information and conducting library and field studies, the existing environmental status of the area was examined and in order to examine the effects and positive and negative consequences in the implementation and exploitation phases of the project on the environment of the study area, all activities were carried out in both phases of identification and assessment of environmental effects (EIA) of this plan. In order to carry out the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of this plan, the Iranian matrix method was used, and the assessment matrix of the plan's effects was formed and the major positive and negative effects and consequences were analyzed and their frequency percentage was checked by drawing a diagram. The results of the study show that the project is approved without the need for corrective solutions and improvement plans.

Key words

Environmental impact assessment, Iranian matrix, water transfer between basins

Chapter 1

Introduction

One of the most important issues in the development and evolution of environmental management in the past few decades, especially in In the 60s AD, the adoption of preventive approaches to face environmental hazards caused by human activities was noticed. Environmental impact assessment as a tool for identifying and predicting the effects and consequences of plans and projects on human well-being as well as the environment was initially in developed countries and gradually became an epidemic issue all over the world and became a legal requirement for the implementation of construction plans and projects. Therefore, there are few countries in the world that do not have environmental impact assessment laws and regulations. In fact, this legal requirement can be seen in the vast majority of countries in the world. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not an exception to this rule, and this issue has had a legal status in Iran since 1373, and based on it, a number of plans and projects affecting the environment were included in the preparation of an environmental impact assessment report in the feasibility and location stages. Also, the allocation of credits granted by international organizations such as the World Bank for the implementation of many construction plans and projects to developing countries has also been included in environmental impact assessment studies[10]. Planning has been proposed as a global and national necessity and the only way to achieve sustainable development. Environmental impact assessment identifies the possible consequences of construction activities on the environment and prevents them from occurring by adopting appropriate methods. The purpose of environmental assessment in the preparation stages of plans and projects is to identify any environmental consequences in the pre-implementation, during and post-implementation stages so that the destruction and damages to the environment can be minimized. Therefore, environmental assessment can be considered as a tool to examine the negative consequences of projects and determine corrective measures for the optimal use of resources in the direction of environmental protection [20]. While the new approach based on environmental assessment in all environments and development plans is integrated and considered from the beginning.

Environmental assessment using different methods examines the benefits and losses of different options and provides optimal and correct options to advance the goals of plans and projects. Projects are also important, and if acute environmental issues arise during the operation of the project or plan, it is possible to quickly correct the processes. In summary, the following are among the most important needs of environmental impact assessment:

Increasing the quality of the environment.

Reducing costs.

Reducing government expenses for environmental protection.

Elevating the government's position in international forums.

Achieving sustainable development goals.

Compatibility between development goals and environmental protection.

Fixing and repairing environmental damage.

Using and integrating environmental standards in Planning.

Facilitating cooperation, coordination and participation of executive bodies.

Accurate identification of environmental processes.

Forecasting the occurrence of important and sustainable environmental effects[10].

1-3- The concept of environmental impact assessment

Environmental impact assessment studies is a systematic process that results and possible consequences from It predicts the implementation of a proposed plan or project on the environment and provides solutions to reduce the negative and important effects on the environment.

In the joint report presented by the United Nations Environment Program, the Canadian Environment Agency and UNESCO, the environmental impact assessment is a method used to recognize, predict, describe and explain and exchange information about the negative effects of the loading type of plans and projects. It is defined as the health of society and the ecosystems on which humans depend for the continuation of their lives. Kanter, one of the environmental experts, envisages environmental assessment and systematically recognizes the environmental consequences resulting from the implementation of plans, projects, programs, public and private activities and the like on physical, chemical, It defines the biological, cultural, social and economic aspects of the entire environment[22]. Basically, this information predicts the environmental changes that may occur as a result of the implementation of different options of a project. In addition, recommending the best method to reduce the changes resulting from the selection and implementation of one of the options is among the tasks of environmental impact assessment [15].

The application and implementation of this method requires targeted environmental information.

Environmental impact assessment is a tool for decision-making and decision-making through which environmental considerations can be integrated into decision-making and decision-making processes.

In the context of environmental impact assessment studies, the environment in its comprehensive sense. is taken into consideration and all the natural, social, cultural, health and economic components are determined with a targeted method of evaluation and the effects of activities for these components.

In this way, in summary, environmental impact assessment is a method that can be used to predict the potential effects of the types of decisions, policies, plans, plans and projects and their burden on the environment. It adopted the necessary measures and measures to reduce the damage caused to the environment. 1-4- The concept of transfer between water basins The transfer between water basins consists of filling an area with water shortage and supplying the shortages by transferring excess water from another area with relatively abundant water. The philosophy of these plans is to transfer only excess water from the source basin and in Those current and future titles and the environment of the origin area have priority. The water systems of the source area will not be affected and the consumers of the source area will not oppose the operation of the project. Transferred water will only be used to meet current demands to ensure that groundwater aquifers and surface water resources that are over-harvested are used in a sustainable way and will never be used to satisfy the needs of new land development and agriculture[8].

Regarding the transfer between water basins, there are various arguments that in some cases may cause such transfers and in some cases prevent this. By comparing the per capita annual renewable water resources of the basins in a country with a dry climate, it may be concluded that a large population in areas with low per capita renewable water resources will face the loss of food security.