A geospatial technique‐based site suitability analysis for construction of water reservoirs in Arsha and Balarampur Blocks, Purulia

Abstract

AbstractWater security is a term associated with the availability of fresh water for all. However, this finite resource has certain other related factors, as water resource can act as a driver for development or underdevelopment. From ancient history to now, human civilization has been dependent on water resources, not only for drinking but for the maintenance of natural systems, for hunting and foraging, through to the growth of agriculture and industrialization. Moreover, the relationship between water resource and regional development becomes more prominent in those areas where this finite resource is scarce. In most dryland areas, water resource management becomes an integral part of regional policy for overall development. This study aims to understand the intensity of water resource scarcity and management through proper site selection in the southwestern part of West Bengal, particularly in Purulia district. The district is underdeveloped, as well as water stressed due to climatic, geological, and socioeconomic factors. Water scarcity in the district impacts agricultural productivity through wasteland generation, which also drives regional poverty and migration. This study also seeks to explain how sustainable development goals, such as climate change (SDGs 13), life on land (SDGs 15), and poverty (SDGs 1), are related to water security. With the help of a semi‐structured questionnaire, secondary data (census, 2011), and geographical information systems, we endorse the view that assessment and management of water through proper site selection can help drive integrated rural water security.