A catchment water balance model in estimating the groundwater recharge in the arid and semi-arid regions of Iran

This paper presents a new model of the rainfall-runoff-groundwater flow processes applicable to semi-arid and arid catchments in the south east of Iran. The main purpose of the model is to assess the groundwater recharge to aquifers in these catchments. The model takes into account the main mechanisms contributing to groundwater recharge in the region and deals with the effects of spatial variation in the hydrological processes by dividing the catchment into different regions of broad hydrologic similarity. The model has been applied to the Zahedan catchment and the results from this study are discussed briefly.