Performance Evaluation Methods for Check-Dams in Balochistan: A Review

Abstract

This study aims to illustrate and present various techniques for evaluating the performance of check-dams and proposes some suitable approaches for impact assessment of dams built in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. These dams were built during the last decade to overcome the challenges of water scarcity and depleting aquifers due to excessive Groundwater (GW) extraction. It was expected that these dams would recharge the GW resources and save the aquifer system from collapsing. Check-dams have traditionally been the permanent source of water within the province. A check-dam is used to delay the floodwater runoff to make it available for domestic and agriculture purposes or to recharge GW. The water along these dams permeates into the ground to keep the aquifer genuinely stable throughout the year. The data were collected based on studies of published research papers and reports of international organizations containing key characteristics of performance evaluation techniques. This review will help to evaluate procedures, policy, and governance interventions in Balochistan by comparing them with the adopted practices in other regions of the world and its impact on the well-being of the society. In this paper, the performance evaluation of check-dams for specific cases is presented. The knowledge acquired will be utilized to highlight state-of-the-art practices and to identify the need for further research in this field.