Topsis-based prioritisation of sub-watersheds for erosion and flood vulnerability in Nambiyar watershed, South India

Libina, R. S. and Jegankumar, R. and Prakash, K. and Dhanabalan, S. P. and Arya, M. A. (2024) Topsis-based prioritisation of sub-watersheds for erosion and flood vulnerability in Nambiyar watershed, South India. Journal of Sustainability Science and Management (Malaysia), 19 (2). pp. 15-41. ISSN 2672-7226

Watershed management projects are undertaken to identify and prioritise regions with degradation problems to ensure effective development planning and conservation activities. This study prioritises sub-watersheds in the Nambiyar watershed, South India, to address degradation issues like soil erosion, runoff, and flood vulnerability for effective planning and conservation activities. Various reports stated that strong monsoons exacerbate flash floods in the Nambiyar watershed, generating substantial runoff and erosion. To rank the sub-watersheds, morphometric parameters, and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) technique was utilised. The results show that the sub-watersheds 1, 4, 2, and 3 are ranked 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, as the most vulnerable sub-watersheds for the occurrence of erosion, floods, etc., and hence categorised as ‘Very High Priority’ class with 57.01 sq. km (8%) of the total watershed area. The watersheds identified for ‘high priority’ cover an area of 199.19 sq. km, i.e., 29.93% of the area. High-ranked sub-watersheds are prioritised for resource conservation and management due to their susceptibility to flash floods, soil erosion, and excessive runoff. Similar studies combining geospatial and MCDM techniques in this watershed offer valuable insights for assessing physical characteristics and prioritising natural resource conservation and disasters.

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Abstract

Watershed management projects are undertaken to identify and prioritise regions with degradation problems to ensure effective development planning and conservation activities. This study prioritises sub-watersheds in the Nambiyar watershed, South India, to address degradation issues like soil erosion, runoff, and flood vulnerability for effective planning and conservation activities. Various reports stated that strong monsoons exacerbate flash floods in the Nambiyar watershed, generating substantial runoff and erosion. To rank the sub-watersheds, morphometric parameters, and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) technique was utilised. The results show that the sub-watersheds 1, 4, 2, and 3 are ranked 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, as the most vulnerable sub-watersheds for the occurrence of erosion, floods, etc., and hence categorised as ‘Very High Priority’ class with 57.01 sq. km (8%) of the total watershed area. The watersheds identified for ‘high priority’ cover an area of 199.19 sq. km, i.e., 29.93% of the area. High-ranked sub-watersheds are prioritised for resource conservation and management due to their susceptibility to flash floods, soil erosion, and excessive runoff. Similar studies combining geospatial and MCDM techniques in this watershed offer valuable insights for assessing physical characteristics and prioritising natural resource conservation and disasters.

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Item Type:	Article
AGROVOC Term:	watershed management
AGROVOC Term:	degradation
AGROVOC Term:	flood damage
AGROVOC Term:	vulnerability
AGROVOC Term:	spatial data
AGROVOC Term:	digital image processing
AGROVOC Term:	landscape
AGROVOC Term:	soil density
AGROVOC Term:	erosion
Geographical Term:	India
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Drainage, morphometric analysis, TOPSIS, sub-watersheds, prioritisation
Depositing User:	Mr. Khoirul Asrimi Md Nor
Date Deposited:	29 Sep 2025 09:21
Last Modified:	30 Sep 2025 06:54
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/2195

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