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Exploring the Relations between Groundwater Level, Rainfall, and Land-use in the Kathmandu Valley
Rajaram Prajapati, Jeffrey C. Davids, Nischal Devkota, Anusha Pandey

Last modified: 2018-06-23

Abstract


Among other things, quantity and intensity of rainfall have a huge influence on groundwater recharge. Since sustainable utilization of groundwater resources has become a key issue in water management in most groundwater dependent countries, understanding the relations between groundwater level and other determinants like rainfall is essential. For cities like Kathmandu that are heavily dependent on groundwater resources, and have a short recharge period, improving our understanding of these relationships is critical. In this study, associations between changes in groundwater level, monsoonal rainfall, and land-use types in the Kathmandu Valley were evaluated. To achieve this, data on monthly changes in groundwater level and monthly average rainfall for the period between July 2017 and June 2018 were collected by the citizen scientists from 30 locations distributed throughout the valley, using an android application called ODK Collect. Land-use coverage classification map with six different land-use types at a 30m spatial resolution was developed using a Landsat 8 image captured in the fall of 2015, which was further validated from ground-based observations conducted by citizen scientists.  A trend analysis on the variations in groundwater level and rainfall patterns will be performed. A correlation analysis will also be conducted to further assess the existing relationship between the selected parameters. The results obtained from this study will provide further insight into the dynamics of groundwater level in the valley, thus facilitating the sustainable development and utilization of groundwater resources.

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