Characterization Assessment and Prediction of a Watershed for Water Resource Management Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Abstract

Water is one of the most important renewable resources that have no substitute and is necessary for the existence of life and vital for the environment. It is surplus in some regions and scarce in others However, this vital resource is very unequally distributed, both in time and space. This uneven distribution is, mainly because of the difference in basin hydrology, which in turn is affected by vegetation in the region, land use practices, climate, soil properties, topography, geology as well as interaction between different factors of the environment. Although water resources are available adequately at different places, however its judicial and sustainable use is much required. In order to make sustainable use of water and soil resources, it is essential to understand the connections between land use practices and watersheds. Watershed approach is the most effective framework to address the water and land resource challenges in current scenario. newlineA watershed is often known as a catchment area or drainage basin, refers to an area in which all of the water flows into a single outlet. Watershed is defined by the area that drains to a common outlet point .Watersheds are commonly illustrated as a part of terrain which gathers precipitation and allows or discharges in a river, steam, a lake .A watershed is not just a hydrological unit, but also a socio politico-ecological unit that determines food, social, and economic security, as well as providing life support services to rural residents. In a watershed, soil, water and vegetation are the basic resources that interact with each other in various geophysical environments. Therefore, for the analysis, management and planning of these resources, watershed is the ideal unit so all these resources have to be supervised jointly in an integrated way at watershed level. It is the boundary line separating adjacent drainage basins. Watershed is measured as a superlative component for the managing of different natural resources including terrain and water and to neutralise the