Morphometric Analysis and Prioritization of Watershed for Water Management Using Weighted Sum Approach and Geospatial Tools: A Case Study of Harohar Sub-Basin, India

Abstract

In order to address current global water shortages, geovisualization tools such as remote sensing and geographic information systems aid planners and decision makers in generating more effective and correct judgments for the execution of water harvesting activities for the maximum utilization of rainwater. Keeping in view, a weighted sum approach technique was used to infer hydrological behavior and priorities at watershed level in the Harohar sub-basin of middle Gangetic plains. It was observed that monsoon rainfall (1.7 mm year^-1) and post-monsoon rainfall (0.6 mm year^-1) has been declined whereas pre-monsoon rainfall (1.5 mm year^-1) has significantly increased over the period 1985-2019. Furthermore, morphometric, slope, hydrological, geomorphological, and lithological variations results revealed that 56.30% of areas are prioritized as very high, followed by high (30.5%), and only 2-7% of areas fall under very low to low priority for construction of rain water harvesting structures. Water harvesting facilities such as farm ponds, check dams, tanks, ahar-pynes, and conservation ditches might be offered in prioritized locations for optimum utilization of surface runoff and ground water recharge. Based on the above scientific findings, this study may be helpful in water resource planning at the basin/watershed level across the globe.