Technologies for Enhancing Water Productivity through Remote Sensing and GIS

Abstract

Water is the essential component of the agricultural system as well as another biota so that precisely management needs to save it for the future generation. So many types of water problems are there on the earth to affect the ecosystem whereas some dangerous problems are created by the uneven management of water such as flood, drought, metallic contamination, water pollution, wastage of water, and drainage, etc. Remote sensing and GIS technology are important and useful tools for the sustainable agricultural management system. The integrated use of remote sensing and GIS technology in several areas for the sustainable agricultural management system in India. Even with their importance, data required monitoring the productivity of land and water resources over the vast areas are usually not available or accessible. Satellite measurements from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather satellite are combined in this study with the ancillary in situ data into a Geographic Information System (GIS). Remote sensing measurements are converted to crop yield, to actual evapotranspiration and indirectly to the net groundwater use. The GIS data consist of canal-water deliveries and rainfall records. For each of the canal commands, the productivity of water is calculated. Maximum variability in the data is found from different canals commands area in the Indus basin. It has resulted that water productivity is being controlled by the crop yields than by water input. Remote sensing and GIS technology are being effectively utilized in India in several areas for sustainable agricultural development and management. The areas of sustainable agricultural development include cropping system analysis, agro-ecological zonation, quantitative assessment of soil carbon dynamics and soil productivity, soil erosion inventory, integrated agricultural drought assessment and management and Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD). Remote Sensing and GIS technology demonstrated to be an effective tool for suggesting action plans or management strategies for agricultural sustainability of any region.