article · Agricultural Water Management
This study advances prior approaches by integrating Water Evaluation and Adaptation Planning (WEAP) modelling with a novel Enhanced Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Impact Assessment Framework (ESIAF) to holistically evaluate irrigation scenarios in water-stressed agricultural regions such as the Indus Basin. Applied to the Chaj Doab region within Pakistan's Indus Basin, this research fills a critical gap in canal-specific, SDG-linked planning for water-stressed agricultural regions. In this integrated approach, the WEAP model simulated physical system responses, quantifying that the optimal scenario (Scenario 3) improves water-use efficiency by 32.4 % (to 67.55 kg/m³) and increases crop yields by 74 %. The ESIAF sustainability assessment reveals this scenario achieves a Final Sustainability Score (FSS) of 0.66 with a Sustainability Balance Index (SBI) of 0.86, demonstrating robust alignment with SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Conversely, climate change projections (Scenario 5) indicate system reliability could plummet to 34–35 %, underscoring the urgency of adaptive measures. The WEAP-ESIAF coupling provides a replicable decision-support tool that offers direct insights for implementing Pakistan's National Water Policy (2018) and guiding sustainable irrigation investments in semi-arid, glacier-dependent basins. • Integration of daily Water Evaluation and Planning modeling with Enhanced Sustainable Development Goals Impact Assessment Framework (ESIAF) at canal command. • Scenario 3 boosts Upper Jhelum Canal reliability by 23 % and water efficiency by 32.4 %. • Climate change reduces system reliability to 34.36–34.87 % under RCP 4.5/8.5. • ESIAF identifies Scenario 3 as optimal (Final Sustainability Score = 0.66; Sustainability Balance Index = 0.86) for Sustainable Development Goals alignment. • Provides actionable template for canal-level water management in semi-arid basins
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DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110132
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