A combined GIS, remote sensing and MCDM approach to find potential location for rainwater harvesting structure in northwestern part of Bangladesh

There has been a fresh water shortage in the Northwestern portion of Bangladesh. Rainwater is one of the finest boons of the nature which can reduce this problem. To utilize the rainwater properly, it is highly needed to make rainwater harvesting (RWH) structure in these regions. The major goal of this study is to find optimal sites for RWH structures to fulfill meet the needs of fresh water demand in Northwestern region of Bangladesh, by employing a multiple-criteria decision making technique based on geographic information systems. Seven spatial parameters, including, rainfall, land use & land cover, slope, soil texture, road distance, drainage density, physiography were included in this study's site appropriateness analysis for RWH structures. The ultimate suitable map which is acceptable for installing RWH structure had been broken down into four categories such as excellent, good, medium and poor regions. The categories occupy the study area's territory in the following order: 21.94%, 59.57%, 15.93%, 2.16%. The study's excellent appropriateness rating for developing RWH structures includes the districts of Sirajganj, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Rangpur, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Panchagar, and Nilphamari, while its low appropriateness index includes Pabna, Natore, Rajshahi, Nawabganj, Naogaon, Joypurhat, and Bogra. Last but not least, this research might also help policymakers, government officer to develop RWH structure in a suitable place to reduce the freshwater shortage problem.