Hydraulic of sustainable groundwater resources, aflaj in Oman, using meshless numerical method

Abstract

Aflaj refers to a traditional irrigation system found in Oman, which has been used for centuries to sustainably manage groundwater resources. These resources play a vital role in meeting various consumption needs, including agriculture, domestic, and industrial. The article, for the first time, introduces the concept of “hydraulics of aflaj”, emphasizing the importance of accurate information about interaction of falaj and aquifer and also flow within their tunnels. The study utilizes the mechanisms of horizontal wells to simulate the interaction between the aquifer and the falaj tunnel, employing the meshless local Petrov–Galerkin numerical model to compute groundwater head of aquifer. The model is applied to a real test case in the Loba aquifer of Malaysia, demonstrating improved accuracy compared to previous models based on evaluation indices such as MAE, RMSE, MAPE, NSE and p-bias. The findings of the proposed model show good agreement.