we have used WEAP model and it gave a reasonably useful information.

The most common ones are WEAP and MODSIM, however in some cases VENSIM-DSS have been applied as well. Please check the below paper:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263698787_Main_Basin-Scale_IWRM_and_MCDM_Using_System_Dynamics_Approach._Case_Study_Urmia_Lake_Basin

Conference Paper Main Basin-Scale IWRM and MCDM Using System Dynamics Approac...

Probably WEAP is the latest model for water allocation purposes. AHP/ANP technique  within MCDM also possible to applied if there are constraint/criteria to allocate water.

Dear Assefa, Mohammad   and Domingos

Thank you for your useful answers.

Let me recomend Aquatool, a very good suit of models  http://www.upv.es/aquatool/en/index_en.html

Hi Ayoob,

in addition to the direct and valuable answers to your question, I want to point out another aspect of the allocation modelling, which is as important as the model choice.

Arid and semi arid regions are characterised with high rainfall variability on different temporal scales. Irrespective of the model you use, the quality of the answers you will get will be primarily dependent on the hydrologic variability you can capture. It is very easy to over-allocate the system, due to the data inadequacy. We used 100 years+ data-series in NSW, Australia, and the modelling still did not capture full natural variability. My advice is to devote some time to finding the longest hydrologic record you can possibly lay your hands on from the same climatic zone your study area is, and use it as a guide to understand hydrologic variability. The extended droughts (10-15 years in NSW) will be those that test your system and define the extent of allocation it should not exceed. Also, don't forget to leave enough water for the environment. We ignored our Lake George record, which shows marked drying trend from the 19th century onward, and are still ignoring this drying trend in our analysis, assuming implicitly the stationary mean. I think that was a part of the trouble that we were faced with during the crisis of the 1996/2000-2010 drought when it hit us.

Regards

Aleks

Hi Ayoob,

in addition to the direct and valuable answers to your question, I want to point out another aspect of the allocation modelling, which is as important as the model choice.

Arid and semi arid regions are characterised with high rainfall variability on different temporal scales. Irrespective of the model you use, the quality of the answers you will get will be primarily dependent on the hydrologic variability you can capture. It is very easy to over-allocate the system, due to the data inadequacy. We used 100 years+ data-series in NSW, Australia, and the modelling still did not capture full natural variability. My advice is to devote some time to finding the longest hydrologic record you can possibly lay your hands on from the same climatic zone your study area is, and use it as a guide to understand hydrologic variability. The extended droughts (10-15 years in NSW) will be those that test your system and define the extent of allocation it should not exceed. Also, don't forget to leave enough water for the environment. We ignored our Lake George record, which shows marked drying trend from the 19th century onward, and are still ignoring this drying trend in our analysis, assuming implicitly the stationary mean. I think that was a part of the trouble that we were faced with during the crisis of the 1996/2000-2010 drought when it hit us.

Regards

Aleks

Ayoob,

There are indeed many water allocation software programs that can help you approaching the water allocation problem. Apart from the quality of data, as very well has stated Aleksandra Rancic above, you should also consider the kind of data you have and spend some time thinking of the results you want to retrieve from the allocation model.

In your situation, I would give a try at the models mentioned above, and also others that exist in literature. Check which ones are capable of providing you with the best answers to your questions. Also consider writing your own model should any of the available met your requirements.

very good response  in addition to the suggestion made above. the spatial and temporal variability scale of your study area would suggest the best suit model. take a look of JAM (J2000 MODEL)

I recommend SPSS tool Which require many data such as amount of water, Population etc....

For water allocation in semi-arid regions, I have been used rainfall-runoff models (such as CN3S from Taborga & Freitas (1987), stochastic generation models (such as SAGE (Freitas, 1995, Billib & Freitas, 1997) coupled with MODSIM and AcquaNet models.

References:

Simulação da lâmina de escoamento mensal

J. Taborga, MAS Freitas - III Simpósio Luso-Brasileiro de Hidráulica e Recursos …, 1987

Drought Prediction and Characteristic Analysis in Semi- Arid Ceará / Northeast Brazil

Marcos Airton de Sousa Freitas, M. H. A. Billib

1997, Proceedings of Rabat Symposium “Sustainability of Water Resources Under Increasing Uncertainty”

Volume 240, 105-112, IAHS Publication.

http://hydrologie.org/redbooks/a240/iahs_240_0105.pdf

A. V. Lopes, M. A. S. Freitas

A Alocação de Água como Instrumento de Gestão de Recursos Hídricos: Experiências Brasileiras, 2007, Revista de Gestion del Agua de America Latina - REGA

Multicriteria Methods as Decision Making Aids in the Hydrographic Basin of the Curu River - State of Ceará

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/login.jsp?tp=&arnumber=4114485&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fxpls%2Fabs_all.jsp%3Farnumber%3D4114485

Freitas, M. S. A. - Stochastische Abflussgenerieung in intermittierenden semiariden Gebieten - Nordost-Brasilien. Hannover: Universitat Hannover, 1995.

Hi, I know some models that do the resources allocation. Not necessarily all them have the capacity for inclusion of the groundwater as well. Examples are REALM, WEAP and eWater Source. I know eWater Source has recently add a new module for groundwater interaction. 

Dynamic programming if you're interested.

Article Determination of cost coefficients of a priority-based water...

dear experts

thank you so much for your useful answers.