Application of Drone Technologies in Surface Water Resources Monitoring and Assessment: A Systematic Review of Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities in the Global South

Mbulisi Sibanda,Cletah Shoko,Vimbayi G P Chimonyo,Timothy Dube,Alistair D Clulow,Onisimo Mutanga,Dominic Mazvimavi,Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi

doi:10.3390/drones5030084

Mbulisi Sibanda, Cletah Shoko + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/drones5030084

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Abstract

Accurate and timely information on surface water quality and quantity is critical for various applications, including irrigation agriculture. In-field water quality and quantity data from unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAVs) could be useful in closing spatial data gaps through the generation of near-real-time, fine resolution, spatially explicit information required for water resources accounting. This study assessed the progress, opportunities, and challenges in mapping and modelling water quality and quantity using data from UAVs. To achieve this research objective, a systematic review was adopted. The results show modest progress in the utility of UAVs, especially in the global south. This could be attributed, in part, to high costs, a lack of relevant skills, and the regulations associated with drone procurement and operational costs. The progress is further compounded by a general lack of research focusing on UAV application in water resources monitoring and assessment. More importantly, the lack of robust and reliable water quantity and quality data needed to parameterise models remains challenging. However, there are opportunities to advance scientific inquiry for water quality and quantity accounting by integrating UAV data and machine learning.

Highlights

Introduction distributed under the terms andFreshwater accounts for only 2.5% of the total amount of water on the earth’s surface, and about 1.5% of that amount is accessible for biophysical processes [1]
We identified the following keywords and their variants: “unmanned aerial vehicle(s)”, “drone(s)”, “Remote sensing”, “geographic information systems (GIS)”, “crop water use” “irrigation”, “water productivity”, “water use efficiency”, “water bodies”, “dam(s)”, “reservoir(s)” OR “river(s)”, water quality”, “water quantity”, and “water volume”
The period from 2018 to 2020 represents an intensification in terms of the imagery analysis in the evaluation of water quality. This period was marked by the application of hyperspectral drone cameras in mapping water quality (Figure 2)

Summary

Introduction

Introduction distributed under the terms andFreshwater accounts for only 2.5% of the total amount of water on the earth’s surface, and about 1.5% of that amount is accessible for biophysical processes [1]. The quality and quantity of available water affect all water users, including crop irrigation. Urban and rural water use (including domestic use) consume 30% of available water resources. In this regard, there is an urgent need to identify accurate and efficient methods for assessing the quality and quantity of available surface water resources. The quantity and quality of available water resources are conventionally determined from in situ measurements, which in some cases can be time-consuming and costly [7]. In situ measurements may not always provide information about the temporal variability of available water, which is necessary for managing crop irrigation [7]

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