A GEOSPATIAL INVESTIGATION OF WATER AVAILABILITY AND WATER STRESS IN INDIA

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), India depends on groundwater resources for 53% of its irrigation and 80% of its drinking water needs. Such demand places a high burden on these resources and leaves many people at risk of inadequate water supply. In this study, an investigation was made into the relationship between groundwater availability and water stress, with a focus on irrigation withdrawals. This is done by first developing a GIS-based map of the major aquifers and parameters (i.e., yield, transmissivity, etc.) in India with which an estimation can be made about groundwater availability and yields. This information is coupled with GIS-based climate, hydrologic, and socioeconomic datasets to develop indicators of natural water availability and human-induced water stress in India using contemporary and projected future populations. An attempt is then made to delineate sustainable from unsustainable irrigation withdrawals by comparing modeled water availability indicators with satellite observations.