The identification of potential sites for water harvesting is an important step towards maximizing water availability and land productivity in the arid and semi-arid areas. This research aimed to select the optimum si...The identification of potential sites for water harvesting is an important step towards maximizing water availability and land productivity in the arid and semi-arid areas. This research aimed to select the optimum sites for water harvesting in the Azraq basin of Jordan through the use of GIS techniques. The Azraq basin is characterized by flash floods that involve large quantities of runoff. The selection criteria in this research were based on six parameters identified based on an extensive literature review. Five experts were then asked to evaluate the importance of each criterion. The consistency ratio between the experts opinions was evaluated using the pairwise comparison method and a final weight was computed for each criterion. A water harvesting suitability map was then generated following the weighted linear combination (WLC) method. The sites that are not suitable for water harvesting within the study area were identified and eliminated following the Boolean method, and final water harvesting suitability map was generated. Finally, the findings of this research can be used to assist in the efficient planning of the water resources management to ensure a sustainable development of the water in Jordan and in other areas suffering from water shortages.展开更多
Until the early 1990s the Azraq basin in Jordan was covered by a huge wetland in the central parts representing a source of fresh water for all purposes. The presence of such wetland in the desert created a natural pa...Until the early 1990s the Azraq basin in Jordan was covered by a huge wetland in the central parts representing a source of fresh water for all purposes. The presence of such wetland in the desert created a natural pathway for migratory birds. Man made and natural impacts caused severe depletion of this basin and the oasis disappeared in the early 1990s. Under a GIS environment MAR layers were prepared for the Azraq basin. MAR mapping showed a very high and high potentials over 20.55% and 61.63% of the total basin area respectively;while the low potential areas represent only 4.03% of the total area.展开更多
文摘The identification of potential sites for water harvesting is an important step towards maximizing water availability and land productivity in the arid and semi-arid areas. This research aimed to select the optimum sites for water harvesting in the Azraq basin of Jordan through the use of GIS techniques. The Azraq basin is characterized by flash floods that involve large quantities of runoff. The selection criteria in this research were based on six parameters identified based on an extensive literature review. Five experts were then asked to evaluate the importance of each criterion. The consistency ratio between the experts opinions was evaluated using the pairwise comparison method and a final weight was computed for each criterion. A water harvesting suitability map was then generated following the weighted linear combination (WLC) method. The sites that are not suitable for water harvesting within the study area were identified and eliminated following the Boolean method, and final water harvesting suitability map was generated. Finally, the findings of this research can be used to assist in the efficient planning of the water resources management to ensure a sustainable development of the water in Jordan and in other areas suffering from water shortages.
文摘Until the early 1990s the Azraq basin in Jordan was covered by a huge wetland in the central parts representing a source of fresh water for all purposes. The presence of such wetland in the desert created a natural pathway for migratory birds. Man made and natural impacts caused severe depletion of this basin and the oasis disappeared in the early 1990s. Under a GIS environment MAR layers were prepared for the Azraq basin. MAR mapping showed a very high and high potentials over 20.55% and 61.63% of the total basin area respectively;while the low potential areas represent only 4.03% of the total area.
