Social and Environmental Impact of Mini Dam using Geospatial Techniques (P-0783) (MFN 4877)

Abstract

Water is essential for human life and to sustain a diverse and flourishing environment. It is a vital economic constraint as an essential requirement for industry, power generation and agriculture. Pakistan is an agricultural country and most of its economy depends on agriculture related activities. Despite the immense water resources available in Pakistan, we still lack of reservoirs and dams to preserve water for its usage. Pothwar plateau is a mountainous region, with a steep slope. The major source of water in this region is rainfall. The rainfall pattern and topography of the area demand rainwater harvesting and storage as the runoff available in the Pothwar Plateau is 3.5 MAF, of which 0.10 MAF is utilized by small dams, mini dams and ponds. (Bhutta et al., 2002). The remaining 3.4 MAF is going to the Indus and Jehlum Rivers. A Mini dam is constructed at Mohrikara village in Rawalpindi district. For the purpose of the study for analysis of socio-environmental Impacts of Mini dams. The methodology adopted for this research was based on traditional methods of data collection and Geospatial Techniques. Surveys were conducted and two types of questionnaires were developed, one for the owner (farmer) of the Mini Dam and other for the community. Modern techniques like GPS were used to develop for thematic and 3D maps of the study area. The result shows that the Mini dam has proven beneficiary for the users of the area. The production of crops and biodiversity has greatly enhanced. It is recommended to further construct such mini dams in rain fed regions of Pakistan to overcome the water scarcity and to boost the economy of the country. The use of geospatial techniques for identification of suitable dam sites can serve as an essential tool for decision making and managing the water resource.