SWAT Literature Database for Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Title:The role of large dams in a transboundary drought management co-operation framework - Case study of the Kabul River Basin 
Authors:Taraky, Y.M., E. McBean, Y. Liu, P. Daggupati, N.K. Shrestha, A. Jiang and B. Gharabaghi 
Year:2021 
Journal:Water 
Volume (Issue):13(19) 
Pages: 
Article ID:2628 
DOI:10.3390/w13192628 
URL (non-DOI journals): 
Model:SWAT 
Broad Application Category:hydrologic only 
Primary Application Category:drought assessment 
Secondary Application Category:reservoirs, ponds, lakes and/or other impoundment effects  
Watershed Description:69,269 km^2 Kabul River, which originates in the Konar-Pakistan Area (16,119 km^2) before continuing on and draining part of northeast Afghanistan (53,150 km^2). 
Calibration Summary: 
Validation Summary: 
General Comments: 
Abstract:Hydrologic drought is a frequent phenomenon in the transboundary Kabul River Basin (KRB), the vital resource shared between the two nations of Afghanistan and Pakistan. While the KRB has vast water resources, these resources are subject to extreme hydrologic events and, as a result, are not adequately managed to deal with the stress during drought conditions in the transboundary setting with no formal agreement or treaty. Rapid population growth and increases in agricultural land will require balanced water distribution to meet the array of needs. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is used to evaluate distribution options for flow frequencies under existing and proposed large dams in the headwaters of the KRB. The calibrated SWAT streamflow results are employed for statistical analyses of the Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI) and Annual Cumulative Deficit Volume (ACDV) to investigate hydrologic drought time series and identify the role of proposed dams to be used for drought mitigation. Based on the SSI, proposed dams can provide additional storage that will partially address hydrologic droughts in the future. At the same time, restrictions on agricultural land expansion and water intakes are other measures to facilitate balanced water resource availability. This study discusses the intricacies of transboundary conflict and cooperation, water rights, and drought risk management; as well, recommendations for a KRB transboundary Drought Task Force (DTF) between Afghanistan and Pakistan are provided, to develop a science-based policy for using the stored waters in large dams for drought relief, fairly and transparency. 
Language:English 
Keywords:Kabul river basin; hydrologic drought; SWAT; standardized streamflow index; dams