Mapping Groundwater Potential for Irrigation, by Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing Techniques: A Case Study of District Lower Dir, Pakistan

Abid Sarwar,Muhammad Asif Javid,Alaa Baazeem,Muhammad Aamir Iqbal,Javeed Shabbir Dar,Muhammad Ishaq Asif Rehmani,Muhammad Habib Ur Rahman,Marian Brestic,Sajid Rashid Ahmad,Ayman El Sabagh,Muhammad Ahmad Shehzad,Milan Skalicky,Shazia Gulzar

doi:10.3390/atmos12060669

Abstract

The changing climate and global warming have rendered existing surface water insufficient, which is projected to adversely influence the irrigated farming systems globally. Consequently, groundwater demand has increased significantly owing to increasing population and demand for plant-based foods especially in South Asia and Pakistan. This study aimed to determine the potential areas for groundwater use for agriculture sector development in the study area Lower Dir District. ArcGIS 10.4 was utilized for geospatial analysis, which is referred to as Multi Influencing Factor (MIF) methodology. Seven parameters including land cover, geology, soil, rainfall, underground faults (liniment) density, drainage density, and slope, were utilized for delineation purpose. Considering relative significance and influence of each parameter in the groundwater recharge rating and weightage was given and potential groundwater areas were classified into very high, high, good, and poor. The result of classification disclosed that the areas of 113.10, 659.38, 674.68, and 124.17 km2 had very high, high, good, and poor potential for groundwater agricultural uses, respectively. Field surveys for water table indicated groundwater potentiality, which was high for Kotkay and Lalqila union councils having shallow water table. However, groundwater potentiality was poor in Zimdara, Khal, and Talash, characterized with a very deep water table. Moreover, the study effectively revealed that remote sensing and GIS could be developed as potent tools for mapping potential sites for groundwater utilization. Furthermore, MIF technique could be a suitable approach for delineation of groundwater potential zone, which can be applied for further research in different areas.

Highlights

The sustainability of modern ecosystems and survivability of human are largely dependent on water availability especially to ensure food security of rising populace [1,2]
The results revealed that that the area 113.106 km2 had very high, 659.387 km2 high, 674.686 km2 good, and 124.177191 km2 fell into poor groundwater potential class
According to the depth of wells in study area, the groundwater potentiality was high in those areas where the table was quite shallow

Summary

Introduction

The sustainability of modern ecosystems and survivability of human are largely dependent on water availability especially to ensure food security of rising populace [1,2]. The changing climate scenario has seriously reduced river water flows that has made groundwater an indispensable constituent of irrigation systems to ensure food security and economic stability [7,8,9]. This situation demands conducting studies to identify potential areas of groundwater resources in order to exploit those resources for irrigation purposes along with formulating strategies to conserve them [10,11]. The widespread use of satellite imagery data, as well as traditional maps and verified ground control data, have assisted to provide primary and crucial information for the potential zoning of areas based on availability and quality of groundwater [15,16,17]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion