IMPACT: International Journal of Research in Applied,

Natural and Social Sciences (IMPACT: IJRANSS)

ISSN (P): 2347-4580; ISSN (E): 2321-8851
Vol. 4, Issue 6, Jun 2016, 109-116
Impact Journals

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT - A GIS APPROACH

RAJEEV1 & SULTAN SINGH2
1
2

Research Scholar, Department of Geography, Kurukshetra University Kurukshetra, India

Senior Scientist, Department of Science & Technology, HARSAC, Goverment. of Haryana, India

ABSTRACT
Watershed management decision making is a complex process. Cooperation and communication among federal,
state, and local stakeholders is required while balancing biophysical and socioeconomic concerns. The public is taking part
in environmental decisions, and the need for technology transfer from public agencies to stakeholders is increasing.
Information technology has had a profound influence on watershed management over the past decade. Advances in data
acquisition through remote sensing, data utilization through geographic information systems (GIS), and data sharing
through the Internet have provided watershed managers access to more information for management decisions. In the
future, applications incorporating hydrologic simulation models, GIS, and decision support systems will be deployed
through the Internet. In addition to challenges in making complex modelling technology available to diverse audiences,
new information technology issues, such as interoperability, Internet access, and security, are introduced when GIS,
simulation models, and decision support systems are integrated in an Internet environment.

KEYWORDS: Watershed Management, Information Technology, Internet, Geography, Geographical Information

Systems, Spatial Analysis

INTRODUCTION
Watershed management decision making is inherently complex. It requires cooperation with federal, state, and
local bodies while incorporating biophysical and socioeconomic process. Traditionally, transfer of information was
unidirectional, typically from state of federal government agencies to landowners. in today's society, bidirectional
communication is imperative, expanding the role of land management agencies in the decision making process. However,
federal and state budgets are increasingly constrained, and new techniques' for information transfer need to be employed.
Watershed management decisions are further complicated by both the complexity of the issues and those processes
creating the problems. the difficulties in spatially representing and quantifying biophysical and socioeconomic process
require that management decisions be based on imperfect information. Water is life, in all forms and shapes. This basic yet
profound truth eluded many of us in the second half of the 20th century. Water professionals and scientists around the
world are ringing the alarming bells of an impending water crisis. Yet attempts to address some of the issues or to offer
partial solutions met with limited success. The ever-growing population and concomitant expansion of agriculture and
industry have placed increasing demand on the limited water resources (Department of Land Resources).
"There is a water crisis today. But the crisis is not having too little water to satisfy our needs. It is a crisis of
managing water so badly that billions of people and the environment"
suffer badly" (World Water Council, 2000)
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OBJECTIVE
The objectives of the study are as follows:

To Study the process of watershed management system through Remote Sensing and GIS.

SCHEMATIC REPRESENTING PROCESS IN THE GLOBAL HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE

The interdependence and continuous movement of all forms of water on the earth and in the atmosphere is known
as hydrologic cycle. The hydrologic cycle can also be defined as the processes and pathways involved in the circulation of
water from land and water bodies (sea, rivers, lakes etc.) to the atmosphere and back again.

Figure 1: Shows the Global Hydrological Cycle

Definition of Watershed
It is defined as the land area from which water drains to a given point. In other words watershed is an area from
which runoff, resulting from precipitation, flows past a single point into a stream. Since water is drained off to a given
point. The management of watershed in point of view of Hydrology is easily possible. Hence, we can arrive to another
definition of watershed i.e. "watershed is a manageable Hydrological Unit".

Figure 2: Shows the Delineation of Watershed

Watershed can be delineated using topographic maps with help of drainage lines which represents the ridge and
valleys

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Figure 3: (1) Ridge Line (2) Valley line (3) Ridges and Valleys in a watershed
Table 1: List of Watershed Characteristics, How to Derive them and Why it is Required

Source: Ministry of Land Resources, Government of Andhra Pradesh

What is Watershed Management?
Watershed management means the rational utilization of land and water resources of watershed for optimal
production with minimal hazard to natural resources. Watershed- based management is the most effective way to enhance
water quality and natural resources, protect critical terrestrial and aquatic habitat, prevent soil erosion, and sustain
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resource-based economic activities while concurrently managing the pressures of an increasingly urbanized landscape.

Importance of Watershed Management in the Present Scenario

Watershed management or protection implies the proper use of all land and water resources of a watershed for
optimum production with minimum hazard to natural resources. The different objectives of a watershed management
programme are:

To control damaging runoff

To manage and utilize runoff for useful purposes

To control erosion and effect reduction in the sediment production

To moderate floods in the downstream areas

To enhance ground water storage wherever applicable

Appropriate use of land resources in the watershed and thus developing forest and fodder resources. Adoption of

conservation farming practices to improve agriculture, controlled grazing to keep the pastures productive, water
management for irrigation and drainage and all other types of erosion control measures could be each watershed are
different and program for their management could also be different. Inappropriate land use practices in the upstream
catchment leads to accelerated soil erosion and consequent silting up of reservoirs. Watershed management in thus an
integral part of any water resources project. The prioritization of watershed i.e. which needs to be paid attention is based on
sediment yield potential so that the treatment would result in minimizing sediment load into the reservoir.

Watershed Characterisation using Remote Sensing and GIS

Various watershed characteristics required for watershed management can be derived using remote sensing and
GIS. A brief description is given here.

Size: This characteristic determines the quantity of precipitation received, retained and drained off. Small
watershed behaves differently from the large ones in terms of the relative importance of various phases of the
runoff phenomenon. This can be delineated using the topographic maps (first instance), by the concept of ridge
and valley lines (as explained previously), based on the position of the watershed outlet. The area of the watershed
can be digitized using GIS functions. This boundary can be verified with the help of the aspect map, which can be
derived using DEM, using any standard GIS function.

Shape: Watersheds have many shapes e.g. it could be rectangular, square, palm shape, oval etc. The shape
controls the length, width ratio which affects the runoff characteristics. For example, the longer the watershed, the
greater is the time of concentration. The longer the time of concentration, the greater the time available for the
water to infiltrate, evaporate and get utilized by vegetation. Shape of watershed is the output of watershed
boundary delineated in GIS environment.

Slope: This is a very important characteristics of a watershed. It affects the time of concentration, infiltration
opportunity time, and runoff and soil loss. Slope can be derived in GIS environment using DEM. Using the
watershed boundary, the weighted average slope of the watershed can be derived in a GIS environment.
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Drainage: This is another important factor which influences the watershed behavior. A large drainage density
(length of drainage channels per unit area) creates situation conducive for quick disposal of runoff down the
channels. In watershed where drainage density is less overland flow is predominant. Length of the channels can be
derived using the digitized drainage in GIS environment.

Geology: Nature of parent rocks, features, faults, extent of outcrops and weathering can be known by
interpretation of satellite data and also ground truth collected. It is possible to understand the ground water
recharge areas also, using the geomorphology and analysis of other relevant information.

Soils: Major soil groups of the watershed and their hydrologic groupings. Physical and chemical properties as
required, which can derived using the mapping of physiographic units from the satellite data and combined with
the field verification of soil profiles dug in each of the physiographic units.

Climate: Precipitation, its annual, seasonal and monthly distribution, forms of precipitation, storm pattern,
rainfall intensity and duration are to be collected from metrological stations. Their spatial distribution can be
understood in a GIS environment. Other climatic factors include air temperature (min. and max.), soil
temperature, evaporation, relative humidity, wind velocity, wind direction, and solar radiation are also required
for understanding the hydrology of the area. If necessary, these data can be converted into spatial data using GIS
functions.

Surface Condition and Landuse : Existing land use and cover conditions including forest lands, range lands,
cultivated lands, waste lands, habitations and miscellaneous uses can be derived using interpretation of satellite
images and also ground truth. Forest type and area under each classification (like stock forest, degraded forest,
scrub etc. hydrologic conditions, legal status (reserved, demarcated, protected, un demarcated, protected,
unclassified, private, community etc.) can be obtained from remote sensing images. Extent of agricultural lands,
land capability classification, area under each class and subclass, area under irrigation, major crops, rain fed area
along with crops grown, orchards and their extent etc. can be obtained by interpretation of remote sensing data
and collection of ground truth.

Ground Water: Source of ground water and ground water levels during pre-monsoon and postmonsoon conditions are necessary to understand extent of ground water-recharge and possible quantity available
for utilization.

Economic Data : General economic conditions of the people, important professions and their dependence on
watershed resources, markets and marketing practices, return from forests including fire wood, and minor forest
products, return from range land, grazing value, returns from cultivated land including irrigated and rain fed etc.

Texture: Textures Provide Important: characteristics for the analysis of many types of images including natural
scenes, remote sensing data and biomedical modalities. The perception of texture is believed to play an important
role in human visual system for reorganization and interpretation. Pervious method of analysis for accomplishing
texture classification may be roughly divided into three categories : statistical, structural and spectral.

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Watershed Management
Concept of Watershed Management: The concept of Watershed Management is shown pictorially with various
aspects which need to be considered, as the sentiments of the people living within the watershed area have to be given
utmost priority in implementing various watershed management schemes.

Aims of Watershed Management

To control damaging runoff.

To control erosion & sediment yield.

To moderate flood.

To enhance ground water storage.

To use land resources optimally.

To protect, conserve, & improve lands.

To develop & mange water resources.

Figure 4: Shows Watershed Management

PROBLEMS IN WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

Professional Problems

Identifying existing problems

Convincing concerned authority

Defining local requirements

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Watershed Management - A GIS Approach

Selecting proper management practice

Designing & implementation

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Social Problems

Low awareness

Reluctance to change existing practices

Poor participation of locals

Feudal social structure

Financial Problems

Psychological Problems

Role of Geoinformation Technology

Satellite data have been extensively used in many watershed All India Soil and Landuse Survey, Ministry of
Agriculture, Government of India. Space borne multispectral data have been used to generate baseline information on
various natural resources, namely soils, forest cover, surface water, ground water and land use/ land cover and subsequent
integration of such information with slope and socio- economic data in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to
generate locale-specific prescription for sustainable development of land and water resources development on a watershed
basis.

CONCLUSIONS
Watershed Management has assumed urgency for planned development of land and water resources and to arrest
land degradation process to preserve environment and ecological balance. Decision support to such management planning
requires scientific knowledge of resources information, expected runoff and sediment yield, priority classification of
watersheds for conservation planning, monitoring of watershed for environmental impact assessment and technologies of
GIS for data base creation, scenario development and appropriate decision making. Remote sensing technique is ideally
suited to evolve such a management strategy. Scientific basis of this approach is explained.

REFERENCES
1.

Department of Land Resources, Guidelines for Hariyali. http://dolr.nic.in/Hariyali Guidelines.htm. DOLR,

(Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, New Delhi, India, 2003).

2.

Government of India, Common Guidelines for Watershed Development Projects. National Rain-fed Area
Authority (Ministry of Land Resources, Government of Andhra Pradesh, India. 57, 2001).

3.

R. Sharma, Watershed Development Adaptation Strategy for Climate Change. (Paper presented in South Asia
expert workshop on Adaptation to Climate Change for Agricultural Productivity, organized by the Government of
India, UNEP and CGIAR, New Delhi, 2002).

4.

E. T. Engman, R. J. Gurney, Remote Sensing in Hydrology (Chapman and Hall India, 1991).
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5.

Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development report, (NRSA, India, 2003).

6.

P. Suhas Wani, Principal Scientist (Watersheds) and Regional Theme Coordinator (Asia), Global Theme on
Agroecosystems (ICRISAT, Patancheru 502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India).

7.

Benjamin Kumpf, Communication Specialist, Global Theme on Agroecosystems (ICRISAT, Patancheru 502 324,
Andhra Pradesh, India).

8.

V.P. Mehta, S.K. Sharma, Chandigarh- The City Beautiful (Vishvas Publications Pvt. Ltd. - 167 Industrial Area,
Phase -2, Chandigarh, 1996).

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