Abstract The increasing demands of the population and the need for development obliged the optimal use and adaptive management of the watershed resources. Accordingly, it is necessary to adopt comprehensive measures to reach sustainable development goals. This objective can be achieved by the application of interdisciplinary and professional approaches through establishing dynamic and optimal balance in supply and demand resources. However, such important optimization approaches have been rarely practiced at the watershed scale. The present study has been therefore formulated to apply a linear water-energy-food nexus optimization for the Shazand watershed, Markazi Province, Iran. This approach was applied for planning 14 crops planted in orchard, irrigated farms, and rain-fed farms, between 2006 and 2014, and targeting water-energy-food nexus index (WEFNI) maximization. The connections among the water, energy, and food were then evaluated through determining the amount of consumption, mass productivity, and economic productivity of water and energy. The results of WEFNIs revealed that almond has the highest WEFNI with values of 0.92, 0.76, 0.76, 0.83, 0.86, 0.86, 0.87, 0.87, and 0.88. Whilst, potato with WEFNI of 0.05, 0.05, 0.05, 0.06, 0.09, 0.10 and 0.11, sugar cane with WEFNI of 0.10 and cucumber with WEFNI of 0.13 had the lowest scores and the corresponding lowest performance among the study crops. The outcomes of optimization study explained that the current situation of land use in the Shazand Watershed is unsuitable to minimize water and energy consumption and maximize benefit. The results can be used as an effective tool for designating proper soil and water resource management strategies in the region.

中文翻译：

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水-能源-食物关联方法在流域尺度优化农业管理模式中的应用

摘要 人口需求的增加和发展的需要迫使流域资源的优化利用和适应性管理。因此，有必要采取综合措施来实现可持续发展目标。这一目标可以通过应用跨学科和专业方法，通过在供需资源中建立动态和最佳平衡来实现。然而，这种重要的优化方法很少在流域尺度上实践。因此，本研究已制定为对伊朗马尔卡齐省的 Shazand 流域应用线性水-能量-食物关系优化。2006 年至 2014 年间，这种方法被用于规划在果园、灌溉农场和雨养农场种植的 14 种作物，并以水-能量-食物关系指数 (WEFNI) 最大化为目标。然后通过确定水和能源的消费量、大规模生产力和经济生产力来评估水、能源和食物之间的联系。WEFNI 的结果显示，杏仁的 WEFNI 值最高，分别为 0.92、0.76、0.76、0.83、0.86、0.86、0.87、0.87 和 0.88。而 WEFNI 为 0.05、0.05、0.05、0.06、0.09、0.10 和 0.11 的马铃薯，WEFNI 为 0.10 的甘蔗和 WEFNI 为 0.13 的黄瓜在研究作物中得分最低，相应的表现也最低。优化研究结果表明，沙赞德流域土地利用现状不适合实现水资源和能源消耗最小化、效益最大化。