Identification of water-stressed area based on the interrelationship of soil moisture and seasonal rice cultivation

The present study identifies water-stressed areas based on linkages between NOAH model-based soil moisture and seasonal paddy rice cultivation in the Dwarakeswar–Gandheswari river basin. Soil moisture provides information about crop water stress distribution. A new analytic hierarchy process (AHP)-based index is proposed for water stress evaluation. The spatially distributed paddy rice cultivation is essential from the water resource management point of view. Temperature vegetation dryness index (TVDI), regional water stress index, standardized water level index, and vegetation health index (VHI) are considered for detecting water-stressed area. Water stress indices, soil moisture, and paddy rice cultivation are considered on a seasonal basis (Boro, Aus, and Aman) for the period 2011–2016. The spatial patterns of TVDI, VHI, and rice cultivation are derived from Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager satellite images. Kendall’s tau is considered for correlation analysis. Sensitivity analysis is performed for the generation of AHP-based new water-stressed zone map. The results show that the downstream portion of the river basin has low water stress compared to the upstream part. Ultimately, the results are validated using 20 field sample points. This analysis will be helpful for the irrigation water management framework.