Water Scarcity Zonation Mapping of Household in District Soreng West Sikkim by MCDM Method Using RS&GIS

Abstract

Abstract: A major global problem, water scarcity has a negative impact on ecosystems, socioeconomic activity, and millions of people. Effective water resource management calls for well-informed decision-making processes that consider many factors and their respective importance. The goal of this case study is to use the Multiple Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) method to address the problem of ranking water scarcity. The study starts out by developing a set of pertinent standards for evaluating water shortage, including water availability, population demand, storage capacity, total population of the household, accessibility of a nearby source, distance to a perennial source, use of rainwater harvesting, number of animals in the household, water obtained from a public supply, and manual water collection methods. Surveys are used to gather information on these criteria, as well as statistical reports, remote sensing, and expert opinions. To ensure comparability across many parameters, the collected data are subsequently analysed and standardized. The regions are then ranked according to the severity of their water scarcity using a suitable MCDM approach. Using the MCDM method, decision-makers can consider their preferences and opinions as well as give various criteria proportionate weights based on their importance. The case study demonstrates how MCDM was used in the study area's battle against water scarcity. Policymakers and stakeholders can utilize the data to identify families that are experiencing the greatest levels of water scarcity and then priorities solutions based on those findings. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis can be performed to assess how well the ranking results hold up under other weightings and criteria. The results of this case study provide a systematic and all-encompassing strategy, which advances water resources management tactics also the results can be further used to prepare a Water Scarcity Zonation Map in ArcGIS or QGIS using RS&GIS method