Off-campus UNL users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your NU ID and password. When you are done browsing please remember to return to this page and log out.
Non-UNL users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.
WATER RESOURCES ALLOCATION IN SAUDI ARABIA: THE CASE STUDY OF AL KHARJ DISTRICT (WHEAT PROGRAM, SHORT RUN WATER DEMAND FUNCTIONS)
Abstract
Even though Saudi agricultural development depends solely on non naturally rechargeable aquifers, it is expanding at a rapid rate and is expected to continue at this rate in the near future. The primary objective of this study was to develop and apply a model to optimally allocate a limited water supply throughout one irrigation season. The study was developed for the Al Kharj District which is representative of other parts of the country. Large, medium, and small representative farms in this district were used to analyze the various production scenarios. The farms were assumed to be comprised of 755, 60, and 6.9 hectares. Linear programing models were developed using each representative farm as the economic unit, and maximization of net farm return as the objective function. Information obtained from the representative farms were then expanded to determine the optimum allocation of water resources for the whole area. The results represent the short-run response of farmers to the prevailing production constraints. This farm-level optimization model was developed to maximize net returns through the selection of crop mix. The effect of growing wheat on farmers net returns was evaluated using parametric programing. Sensitivity analysis on base line solutions indicated that net returns may be sensitive to the irrigated area cultivated by wheat. The most pervasive response of reducing wheat irrigated areas was the increase in the high value product irrigated areas. Results of this research indicated that significant opportunities exist for conserving water in irrigated agriculture. In the setting of this analysis, large reductions in water use can be obtained by constraining irrigated wheat land and farmers net returns increased by growing high value products like tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. Results derived from this analysis provide recommendations to policy makers and planners as well as farmers and farm managers in the Al Kharj District specifically and in Saudi Arabia in general.
Subject Area
Agricultural economics
Recommended Citation
BATTAL, HAMAD SAIF, "WATER RESOURCES ALLOCATION IN SAUDI ARABIA: THE CASE STUDY OF AL KHARJ DISTRICT (WHEAT PROGRAM, SHORT RUN WATER DEMAND FUNCTIONS)" (1986). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8704541.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8704541