Evaluating hotspots for stormwater harvesting through participatory sensing

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Resource Management
• Geographic Information Systems

Background:

• Climate change and drought necessitate freshwater conservation through stormwater harvesting.
• Site selection for stormwater harvesting requires evaluating economic, social, cultural, and environmental factors.
• Traditional methods often overlook socio-environmental aspects in site selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a web-GIS based approach for selecting suitable stormwater harvesting sites.
• To integrate socio-environmental considerations and stakeholder input into the site selection process.
• To identify optimal stormwater harvesting sites for Dehradun city, India.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and GeoServer to manage and publish geospatial data.
• Developing an open-source database (PostgreSQL/PostGIS) for geospatial datasets.
• Implementing a web-GIS approach to gather stakeholder and public responses via questionnaires.
• Applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to weigh criteria based on collected responses.

Main Results:

• Sites 'B' and 'D' were identified as the most suitable stormwater harvesting locations in Dehradun.
• Socio-environmental criteria like 'community acceptance', 'recreational activities', and 'need for water reuse' received high weightage.
• The web-GIS approach facilitated efficient data collection and stakeholder engagement.

Conclusions:

• The proposed methodology effectively integrates public and stakeholder participation in water resource decision-making.
• Web-GIS and AHP provide a robust framework for sustainable stormwater harvesting site selection.
• Involving diverse participants enhances the relevance and acceptance of water management strategies.