Gümüş et al. (2026) Identifying priority zones for rainwater harvesting to support sustainable water management in arid and semi-arid regions

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Environmental Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-04-01
• Authors: Münevver Gizem Gümüş, Tolga Kaynak
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129519

Research Groups

Department of Geomatics, Faculty of Engineering, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Niğde, Türkiye

Short Summary

This study developed a hybrid multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework, combining fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP) and technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS), to identify optimal spatial zones for rainwater harvesting in arid and semi-arid regions. The framework successfully identified 57 candidate sites, with the top five (A28, A14, A17, A21, A52) characterized by favorable hydrological and topographical conditions.

Objective

• To develop a systematic decision-making framework for identifying suitable and optimal spatial zones for efficient rainwater harvesting in arid and semi-arid regions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional to local scale within arid and semi-arid regions, specifically applied to parts of Türkiye, including the Central Anatolia Region and Kayseri.
• Temporal Scale: Not explicitly defined for the study's data collection period, but addresses ongoing water scarcity issues and aims for sustainable water management planning.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework combining Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (F-AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), integrated within a Geographic Information System (GIS) for spatial screening.
• Data sources: Data related to predefined environmental, hydrological, and infrastructural exclusion criteria, including information on drainage networks, slopes, Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) values, and hydrological soil groups (HSG).

Main Results

• A GIS-based screening process, applying environmental, hydrological, and infrastructural exclusion criteria, identified 57 suitable alternative areas for rainwater harvesting.
• The TOPSIS method ranked these 57 candidate sites, with the top five priority locations identified as A28, A14, A17, A21, and A52.
• The highest-ranked sites were characterized by low distances to drainage networks and slopes, high Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) values, and favorable hydrological soil groups (HSG).

Contributions

• Development of a novel and transferable hybrid F-AHP and TOPSIS MCDA framework for systematic and efficient site selection for rainwater harvesting.
• Identification of specific priority zones for rainwater harvesting in a semi-arid region of Türkiye, offering practical insights for local water management.
• Provides a valuable tool for policymakers, urban planners, and environmental managers to adopt climate-resilient and resource-efficient water management strategies.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Gümüş2026Identifying,
  author = {Gümüş, Münevver Gizem and Kaynak, Tolga},
  title = {Identifying priority zones for rainwater harvesting to support sustainable water management in arid and semi-arid regions},
  journal = {Journal of Environmental Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129519},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129519}
}