Aquaplan project

This study balances the positive and negative impacts of increased storage capacity and irrigation water withdrawals in Turkey (GAP) on the performance of the Tabqa multipurpose scheme in Syria.

A two-step modelling approach is adopted to handle the absence of coordination in the operation of the Turkish and Syrian water resources systems:

(1) a large scale optimization model (SDDP) determines the optimal release policies of the cascade of reservoirs in Turkey.

(2) river discharges at the Turkish/Syrian border are then used as inputs in a discrete SDP model for the Tabqa scheme in Syria.

The analysis of simulation results reveals, amongst other things, that if the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) is completed as planned, the risk of not meeting the annual Syrian energy target increases substantially (up to 60%).

Publication related to this study