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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Rainwater Harvesting Site Assessment Using Geospatial Technologies in a Semi-Arid Region: Toward Water Sustainability

by
Ban AL- Hasani
1,*,
Mawada Abdellatif
1,*,
Iacopo Carnacina
1,
Clare Harris
1,
Bashar F. Maaroof
2 and
Salah L. Zubaidi
3,4
1
Department of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
2
Department of Geography, Faculty of Basic Education, University of Babylon, Al Hilla 51002, Iraq
3
Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Warith AL-Anbiyaa, Karbala 56001, Iraq
4
Department of Civil Engineering, Wasit University, Wasit 52001, Iraq
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Water 2025, 17(15), 2317; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17152317
Submission received: 7 May 2025 / Revised: 17 July 2025 / Accepted: 21 July 2025 / Published: 4 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements in Remote Sensing and UAV Technologies for Water Management in Climate-Smart Agriculture Systems)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Rainwater harvesting for sustainable agriculture (RWHSA) offers a viable and eco-friendly strategy to alleviate water scarcity in semi-arid regions, particularly for agricultural use. This study aims to identify optimal sites for implementing RWH systems in northern Iraq to enhance water availability and promote sustainable farming practices. An integrated geospatial approach was adopted, combining Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). Key thematic layers, including soil type, land use/land cover, slope, and drainage density were processed in a GIS environment to model runoff potential. The Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method was used to estimate surface runoff. Criteria were weighted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), enabling a structured and consistent evaluation of site suitability. The resulting suitability map classifies the region into four categories: very high suitability (10.2%), high (26.6%), moderate (40.4%), and low (22.8%). The integration of RS, GIS, AHP, and MCDA proved effective for strategic RWH site selection, supporting cost-efficient, sustainable, and data-driven agricultural planning in water-stressed environments.
Keywords: rainwater harvesting; multi-criteria decision analysis; suitable sites; semi-arid regions; sustainable agriculture rainwater harvesting; multi-criteria decision analysis; suitable sites; semi-arid regions; sustainable agriculture

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

AL- Hasani, B.; Abdellatif, M.; Carnacina, I.; Harris, C.; Maaroof, B.F.; Zubaidi, S.L. Rainwater Harvesting Site Assessment Using Geospatial Technologies in a Semi-Arid Region: Toward Water Sustainability. Water 2025, 17, 2317. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17152317

AMA Style

AL- Hasani B, Abdellatif M, Carnacina I, Harris C, Maaroof BF, Zubaidi SL. Rainwater Harvesting Site Assessment Using Geospatial Technologies in a Semi-Arid Region: Toward Water Sustainability. Water. 2025; 17(15):2317. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17152317

Chicago/Turabian Style

AL- Hasani, Ban, Mawada Abdellatif, Iacopo Carnacina, Clare Harris, Bashar F. Maaroof, and Salah L. Zubaidi. 2025. "Rainwater Harvesting Site Assessment Using Geospatial Technologies in a Semi-Arid Region: Toward Water Sustainability" Water 17, no. 15: 2317. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17152317

APA Style

AL- Hasani, B., Abdellatif, M., Carnacina, I., Harris, C., Maaroof, B. F., & Zubaidi, S. L. (2025). Rainwater Harvesting Site Assessment Using Geospatial Technologies in a Semi-Arid Region: Toward Water Sustainability. Water, 17(15), 2317. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17152317

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