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Poolad Karimi

Associate Professor of Water and Agriculture

Biography

Poolad Karimi is a water resource & irrigation engineer with more than 15 years of international experience. Since August 2014 he is working at IHE Delft as a senior lecturer/researcher in irrigation management. Prior to joining IHE Delft, Poolad worked at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He has worked on a range of issues related to water resources management and agricultural water management. This includes serving in a leading role in the development of the Water Accounting Plus framework. He has been involved in numerous research projects pertaining to the basin and field-level productivity, water scarcity management, small-scale irrigation interventions, water use efficiency, and the groundwater-irrigation-energy nexus. He has also conducted agricultural water productivity assessments for several river basins in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Poolad obtained his PhD degree from the Delft University of Technology.

Research Summary

Poolad currently leads and contributes to several international advisory, research, and capacity development projects in the domain of water resources development and irrigation in Africa and the Middle East. His current research interests include remote sensing applications in irrigation, Nature-based solutions for increased water access, water accounting, and water productivity assessment.

Research Projects:

Publications

  • Journal articles:
  • Delavar, M., Morid, S., Morid, R., Farokhnia, A., Babaeian, F., Srinivasan, R., Karimi, P.: Basin-wide water accounting based on modified SWAT model and WA+ framework for better policymaking, Journal of Hydrology, 585, 124762, 2020.
  • Blatchford, M.L., Mannaerts, C.M., Njuki, S.M., Nouri, H., Zeng, Y., Pelgrum, H., Wonink, S., Karimi, P.: Evaluation of WaPOR V2 evapotranspiration products across Africa, Hydrological Processes, doi: 10.1002/hyp.13791. 2020.
  • Bakhshianlamouki, E., Masia, S., Karimi., P, van der Zaag, P., Susnik, J.: A system dynamics model to quantify the impacts of restoration measures on the water-energy-food nexus in the Urmia Lake Basin, Iran, Science of the Total Environment, 780, 134874, 2020.
  • Karimi, P., Bongani, B., Blatchford, M., de Fraiture, C.: Global Satellite-Based ET Products for the Local Level Irrigation Management: An Application of Irrigation Performance Assessment in the Sugarbelt of Swaziland. Remote Sens.,11, pp 705, 2019.
  • Ajaz, A., Karimi, P., Cai, X., de Fraiture, C., Akhter, M.S.: Statistical data collection methodologies of Irrigated areas and their limitations: A review. Irrigation and Drainage. 68, 702-713, 2019.
  • Pareeth, S., Karimi, P., Shafiei, M., de Fraiture, C.: Mapping Agricultural Landuse Patterns from Time Series of Landsat 8 Using Random Forest Based Hierarchial Approach. Remote Sens. 11, 601, 2019.
  • Blatchford, M.L., Mannaerts, M. M., Zeng, Y., Nouri, H., Karimi, P.: Status of accuracy in remotely sensed and in-situ agricultural water productivity estimates: A review, Remote sensing of Environment. 234, 111413, 2019.
  • Kaune, A., Werner, M., Lopez, P. L., Rodriguez, E., Karimi, P., de Fraiture, C.: Can global precipitation datasets benefit the estimation of the area to be cropped in irrigated agriculture?, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 2019.
  • Blatchford, M.L., Karimi, P., Bastiaanssen, W.G.M., Nouri, H.: From global goals to local gains – A framework for crop water productivity, ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information [IF: 1.840], 7(11), pp 414, 2018.
  • Hashemy Shahandy, S.M., Firoozfar, A., Maestre, J.M., Taghvaeian, S., Karimi, P.: Operational performance improvements in irrigation canals to overcome groundwater overexploitation, Agricultural Water Management, 204, pp 234-246, 2018.
  • Kaune, A, Werner, M., Rodriguez, E., Karimi, P., de Fraiture, C.: A novel tool to assess available hydrological information and the occurrence of sub-optimal water allocation decisions in large irrigation districts, Agricultural Water Management,191, pp 229-238, 2017.
  • Karimi, P. and Bastiaanssen, W. G. M.: Spatial evapotranspiration, rainfall and land use data in water accounting – Part 1: Review of the accuracy of the remote sensing data, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 507-532, doi:10.5194/hess-19-507-2015, 2015.
  • Karimi, P., Bastiaanssen, W. G. M., Sood, A., Hoogeveen, J., Peiser, L., Bastidas-Obando, E., and Dost, R. J.: Spatial evapotranspiration, rainfall and land use data in water accounting – Part 2: Reliability of water acounting results for policy decisions in the Awash Basin, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 533-550, doi:10.5194/hess-19-533-2015, 2015.
  • Bastiaanssen, W. G. M., Karimi, P., Rebelo, L-M., Duan, Z., Senay, G., Muttuwatte, L., and Smakhtin, V.: Earth observation-based assessment of the water production and water consumption of Nile Basin Agro-Ecosystems, Remote Sensing 6 (11), 10306-10334, 2014.
  • Rebelo, L.M., Johnston, R., Karimi, P., and McCornick, P.: Determining the dynamics of agricultural water use: cases from Asia and Africa. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education 153 (1), 79-90, 2014.
  • Karimi, P., Bastiaanssen, W. G. M., and Molden, D.: Water Accounting Plus (WA+) – a water accounting procedure for complex river basins based on satellite measurements, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 17, 2459-2472, 2013.
  • Karimi, P., Bastiaanssen, W. G. M., Molden, D., and Cheema, M. J. M.: Basin-wide water accounting based on remote sensing data: an application for Indus Basin, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 17, 2473-2486,  2013.
  • Karimi, P., Qureshi, A. S., Bahramloo, R., and Molden, D.: Reducing carbon emissions through improved irrigation and groundwater management: A case study from Iran. Agricultural Water Management, 108, 52-60, 2012.
  • Cai, X., Karimi, P., Masiyandima, M., and Sally, H.: The spatial and temporal variation of crop water consumption and the impact on water productivity in the Limpopo river basin. IAHS-AISH Publication, Volume 352, Pages 427-430, 2012.
  • Cai, X., Molden, D., Mainuddin, M., Sharma, B., Ahmad, M.D., and Karimi, P.: Producing more food with less water in a changing world: water productivity assessment in ten major river basins. Water International 36: 1, 42- 62, 2011.
  • Qureshi, A.S., Owis, T., Karimi, P., Porehemmat, J.: Water productivity of irrigated wheat and maize in Karkheh River Basin of Iran. Irrigation and Drainage Journal, Volume 59, Issue 3, pages 264–276, 2010.
  • Ahamd, M.D., Islam, A., Masih, I., Muthuwatta, L., Karimi, P., and Turral, H.: Mapping basin level water productivity using remote sensing and secondary data in the Karkheh River Basin, Iran. Water International, Volume 34, Issue 1 March 2009, pages 119 – 133, 2009.
  • Masih, I., Ahmad, M.D., Uhlenbrook, S., Turral, H., and Karimi, P.: Analyzing streamflow variability and water allocation for sustainable management of water resources in the semi-arid Karkheh river basin, Iran. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Vol 34, Issues 4-5, Pages 329-340, 2009.
  • Gamage, M.S.D.N., Ahmad M.D., and Karimi, P.: Estimating cropped area and yield using index based time series MODIS imagery in Gamasiab sub-basin of the Karkheh River Basin in Iran. Sri Lankan Journal of Geo-Informatics. Vol. 4, 39-55, 2007.
  • Peer-reviewed Book chapters:
  • Rebelo, L-M., Faures, J-M., Karimi, P., Bastiaanssen, W. G. M., Giordano, M., Smakhtin, V., and McCornick, P.: Water metrics. In On target for people and planet: setting and achieving water-related sustainable development goals, edited by van der Bliek, J., McCornick, P Clarke, J., pp. 20-22, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2014.
  • Karimi, P., Molden, D., Bastiaanssen, W. G. M., and Cai, X.: Water accounting to assess use and productivity of water: evolution of a concept and new frontiers. In Water Accounting: International Approaches to Policy and Decision-Making, edited by J. M. Godfrey and K. Chalmers, pp. 76–88, Edward Elgar Publishing. UK, 2012.
  • Karimi, P., Molden, D., Notenbaert, A., and Peden, D.: Nile basin farming systems and productivity. In The Nile river basin; water, agriculture, governance and livelihoods. Edited by Awulachew, et al. pp. 133 -153, Routledge, UK, 2012.
  • Cai, X., Molden, D., Mainuddin, M., Sharma, B., Ahmad, M. D., and Karimi, P.: Producing more food with less water in a changing world: assessment of water productivity in 10 major river basins. In Fisher, M.; Cook, Simon (Eds.). Water, food and poverty in river basins: defining the limits. pp. 280-300, Routledge, UK, 2012.
  • Books:
  • Karimi, P.: Water accounting plus for water resources reporting and river basin planning. VSSD publishing, Delft, the Netherlands, 2014.
  • Karimi, P.: Effects of irrigation water quality on yield and yield components of wheat and barley. MSc thesis, Agriculture department, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran, 2005. (in Persian with English abstract)
  • Conference papers:
  • Karimi, P., Molden, D., and Bastiaanssen, W.G.M.: Water accounting to support informed river basin water management. Water in the Anthropocene: Challenges for Science and Governance. Indicators, Thresholds and Uncertainties of the Global Water System, 21-24 May 2013, Bonn, Germany, 2013.
  • Karimi, P., Molden, D., and Bastiaanssen, W.G.M.: Mapping crop water productivity in the Nile basin through combined use of remote sensing and census data. ICID transaction No.30A. 21st ICID congress, Tehran, Iran 19-23 Oct 2011, pp 137-148, 2011.
  • Cai, X., Molden, D., Mainuddin, M., Sharma, B., Ahmad, M., and Karimi, P.: A comparison of water productivity in ten river basins: the status and implications [abstract]. International Conference on the Status and Future of the World's Large Rivers, 11-14 April 2011, Vienna, 2011.
  • Cai, X., Sharma, B. R., and Karimi, P.: Agricultural water use in two diverse river basins: a quick comparison of the Limpopo and the Indo-Gangetic basins. CTA Annual Seminar, Closing the Knowledge Gap: Integrated Water Management for Sustainable Agriculture, Johannesburg, South Africa, 22–26 November 2010. Abstracts. Wageningen, Netherlands: ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA). pp. 26, 2010.
  • Cai, X., Karimi, P., Masiyandima, M., and Sally, H.: Agricultural Water Productivity in the Limpopo River Basin: More produce per drop? Proceedings of 11th WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 27-29 October 2010, Pp5-18, 2010.
  • Karimi, P., Molden, D., and Bastiaanssen, W.G.M.: Water Accounting to Assess Use and Productivity of Water, International water accounting conference, Monash University, Prato. 8-10 September 2010.
  • Karimi, P.: Remote sensing applications in water management and planning. The 2nd Space Application for Environment (SAFE) workshop. Colombo, Sri Lanka, 28-29 June, 2010.
  • Karimi, P., Notenbaert, A.M.O., Breugel, P. van, and Molden, D.: Production systems and water productivity in the Nile Basin, CPWF Nile Basin Focal Project Final Workshop, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 9-12 December, 2009.
  • Demissie, S.S., Awulachew, S.B., Molden, D., and Karimi, P.: Improved agricultural water management in the Nile Basin: hydronomic zoning of Nile Basin, CPWF Nile Basin Focal Project Final Workshop, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 9-12 December, 2009.
  • Karimi, P.: Karkheh Basin Focal Project: Synthesis of approach, findings and lessons. 2nd international forum on water and food, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November, 2008.
  • Ahamd, M.D., Islam, A., Masih, I., Muthuwatta, L., Karimi P, and Turral, H.: Water productivity mapping to identify opportunities to improve agricultural water management in the Karkheh river basin, Iran. 2nd international forum on water and food, proceedings volume I, 119-122 pp, 2008.
  • Masih, I., Ahmad, M.D., Uhlenbrook, S., Turral, H., and Karimi P.: Overview of streamflow variability and water accounts for the Karkheh Basin, Iran. 2nd international forum on water and food, proceedings volume III, 32-37 pp, 2008.
  • Masih, I., Ahmad, M.D., Turral, H., Uhlenbrook, S., and Karimi, P.: Understanding hydrologic variability for better surface water allocations in Karkheh Basin Iran. Paper presented at XIIIth World Water Congress, Montpellier, France, from 1-4 September, 2008.
  • Ahamd, M.D., Islam, A., Masih, I., Muthuwatta, L., and Karimi, P., Turral, H.: Mapping basin level water productivity using remote sensing and secondary data in the Karkheh River Basin, Iran. Paper presented at XIIIth World Water Congress, Montpellier, France, from 1-4 September, 2008.

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