Assessing site suitability potential for soil and water conservation structures by using modified micro-watershed prioritization method: geomorphometric and geomatic approach

Efficiency of soil water conservation (SWC) structure depends on its precise locations as well as its success in reducing surface runoff, soil erosion and increasing biomass for sustainable watershed development. The present study focuses on the identification of site suitability potential for locating SWC structures in micro-watersheds of Shivganga basin from Deccan Volcanic Province, India. First time, micro-watershed prioritization coupled with modified weighted sum analysis has been used to identify the potential areas for SWC. The main advantage of this modified method is removing biases in ranking micro-watersheds having same weighted sum scores. This method principally assists to provide suitable location for SWC structures so as to reduce future losses such as rupture of earthen wall, flash flood losses and deprived storage capacity. The suitability potential analysis incorporates the Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD) specifications designed for various SWC structures along with the linear, areal and relief morphometric parameters. Derived site suitability potential areas were validated by field observations and ground truth verification with reference to the existing SWC sites, which show 65–100% accuracy. In conclusion, adopted modified methodology demands less data that deciphers the site suitability zones more precisely with respect to micro-watersheds.