Application of Analysis of Network Process (ANP) on Determination of the Appropriate Location for Drinking Water Harvesting (Case study: Roshtkhar Plain)

The optimal management of ground water consumption is impossible without proper knowledge of water distribution, aquifer territories, and water table fluctuations. Humans are faced with the problem of water scarcity, due to various reasons such as population growth, droughts and reduced rainfall, and industrial progress and its impact on water resources. The purpose of this study was to determine the suitable locations for drinking water harvesting using the multi-criteria ANP decision-making process in the Roshtkhar Plain, located in the southeast of Torbat Heydarieh Plain basin. Considering the quantitative and qualitative criteria for water, geological, physiographical, economic, and social studies of Roshtkhar Plain were reviewed. First, the weight of each parameter was determined with ANP. Then the criteria and sub-criteria layers were combined using their respective weights, resulting in the final aggregated layer of criteria and sub-criteria. These layers were classified into five qualitative classes: very good, good, medium, low and not suitable. The results showed that the mentioned classes were 14.26, 25.24, 19.69, 16.14, 16.41% of the total area of the plain, respectively. According to the final map,  the potential for extraction of drinking water in the plain increases from east to west.