Classification of Groundwater Suitability for Irrigation in the Ulagalla Tank Cascade Landscape by GIS and the Analytic Hierarchy Process

Abstract

The tank cascade system (TCS) has been used for over 2000 years for water management in Sri Lanka. Since surface water is limited in the dry zone of Sri Lanka, agricultural production, especially of upland crops, relies on groundwater for irrigation. We sampled 29 wells in the Ulagalla cascade, a prominent TCS near Anuradhapura city in the dry zone of Sri Lanka, in Yala (dry) and Maha (wet) seasons, the two main cropping seasons in Sri Lanka. We evaluated the suitability of groundwater for irrigation using the analytic hierarchy process and geographical information system. Water quality did not vary notably between seasons. However, it deteriorated with the onset of high intensity heavy rain, especially during the Maha season. A water quality zoning map indicated that groundwater in 4% and 96% of the study area is suitable and moderately suitable for irrigation, respectively. Irrigation water quality in tank cascade landscapes and similar environments can be assessed using this methodology and our results.

Suitability Calculation for Red Spicy Pepper Cultivation (Capsicum annum L.) Using Hybrid GIS-Based Multicriteria Analysis

“…The versatility of applied methods in the process of suitability calculation ensures the repeatability of the process, not related to the study area size or its location in the world. Existing studies on the application of multicriteria analysis on crop suitability are developed in similar areas, like the study area in this research, and imply the applicability of this methodology on larger areas [15,35,[59][60][61]. The same studies noted the flexibility of the used methods regarding the input data selection.…”

Sustainability of Village Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka: Exploring Cascade Anatomy and Socio-Ecological Nexus for Ecological Restoration Planning

“…The subsurface flow of groundwater feeds command areas situated in lower areas of the valley supporting paddy cultivation [34]. Further, groundwater is utilized through agro-wells for irrigation in the upland seasonal crops farming [50][51][52] and domestic purposes through shallow domestic wells in homesteads [34,53].…”

Benefit Evaluation of Water and Soil Conservation Measures in Shendong Based on Particle Swarm Optimization and the Analytic Hierarchy Process

“…In Shendong Mining Area, the intensive mining activities will inevitably affect and occupy farmers' land, and interfere with the original land surface, vegetation, and water in the mining area, resulting in the aggravation of soil erosion. Soil and water conservation in Shendong Mining Area of the Loess Plateau is mainly based on the micro geomorphic landscape transformation of slope reduction [67], which can lead to terraces suitable for planting and the ridges suitable for trees and grass, optimize the original land structure type [66,77]; improve land use efficiency [78] and create degradable biomaterials for slope cover [79], help make the area more conducive to vegetation growth [39,80], and reduce water and soil loss [3,75,78,[81][82][83]. An increase in forest and grass coverage not only needs favorable terrain conditions, but also requires appropriate plant species to be used for vegetation rehabilitation, as well as workers with mastery of the corresponding technologies to engage in reclamation.…”

“…Due to climate change and water shortage, similar to the allocation of water resources in Colombia [1], the sustainable assessment of soil water system in the Netherlands [2], the utilization of water resources in Sri Lanka's arid areas [3], and other phenomena related to soil and water, conservation deserves wide attention [4]. Especially in the mining process, the effective utilization and management of resources must be faced by decision makers.…”