Assessment model of water harvesting and storage location using GIS and remote sensing in Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq

Marwah M Al-Khuzaie,Hussein Janna,Nadhir Al-Ansari

doi:10.1007/s12517-020-06154-4

Abstract

One of the important steps towards optimizing land productivity and water availability for the semi-arid and arid areas is the identification of potential sites for water harvesting. Therefore, this paper uses the Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques to select the optimized sites for water harvesting in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate, Iraq. Geographic water management capabilities are applied as a spatial analysis model. Data from global data repositories are retrieved followed by rescaling them to a spatial resolution to acquire a manageable input data set. The Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) model is used to calculate the potential runoff as an intermediate input. Multi-Criteria Evaluation techniques are adopted to identify the relative importance and suitability levels of the input parameters set to manage the water supply. The suitability for identifying irrigation pond and dam location(s) was considered in this study. To achieve this goal, the criteria for eligibility for water harvesting areas have been completed on the basis of the conditions in the study methods. Based on the hydrological and geomorphological standards of the study area, suitable sites for harvest areas were identified and it was divided into four classes in terms of their suitability for water harvesting, namely very low, low, moderate, and high suitable for water harvesting. It can be concluded that the findings of this research can be used to assist in water resources management as an efficient planning tool to ensure sustainable development of the water in Iraq who suffers from water shortages.

Highlights

Water is a significant and limited resource that has many uses
This paper aims to locate suitable water harvesting areas in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate using remote sensing techniques with Geographical Information System (GIS)
To determine potential surface rainwater harvesting sites, which is the main aim of this work, the findings are obtained by using spatial differences in landscape characteristics like the land cover, slopes, digital elevations DEM, rainfall, soils, and land use

Summary

Introduction

Water is a significant and limited resource that has many uses. Global climate variability, growing population, and economic development increase the pressure on resources. Water harvesting has become an increasingly important practice due to global warming and the depletion of fresh water sources. Other issues that should be considered are the discharge of groundwater and pollution, the need to recharge groundwater through water harvesting, and the processes of collecting and storing rainwater for later use (Al Maliki et al, 2020). Specialists, and nonspecialists have reinforced the use of water harvesting techniques because of their low cost and simple implementation to address the water crisis (Adham et al, 2018). These techniques represent the artificial nutrition used in the management of water resources around the world. Rainwater can supplement existing water supplies, such as groundwater and urban water, reducing the costs and meeting the basic water needs, and it supports environmental protection efforts (Wen et al, 2019)

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Conclusion