Quantification of Ground Water Storage Variation and Stressed Area Using Multi Temporal GRACE Data of Kabul River Basin

In recent decades, the Afghanistan-Pakistan trans-boundary Chitral Kabul River Basin (CKRB) has faced severe challenges in groundwater storage (GWS) recharge-discharge variations. The main objective of this research is to assess spatiotemporal quantitative trends from 2003 to 2015 and to measure the variations in total water storage (TWS) and GWS at CKRB using multi-temporal satellite data and variables of the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS). Finally, with this data, a classification of the study area into high, medium and low GWS stress zones using remote sensing and GIS techniques will be conducted. This will allow for the integration of Remote Sensing (RS) and GIS-based GWS variation analysis and stressed zonation mapping in order to support decision-making for effective strategies and sustainable management in high-risk stressed zones. Since 2002, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission provided a lengthy record of data, unparalleled data quality information, data acquisition methods data transmission with spatiotemporal gravity measurements, and unprecedented accuracy on a worldwide, regional and basin scale. The calculation of GRACE satellite data (monthly gravity anomalies) and GLDAS model data were performed using Arc Info GIS, which provided spatiotemporal trend of the TWS and the GWSV from 2003 to 2015. Results and analysis of the spatiotemporal trend of TWS and GWS in CKRB showed that a decreasing trend in the years 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013, while an increasing trend of TWS and GWS with varying intensities were found in the years 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2014. The heavy precipitation caused increases in TWS and GWS, which was validated with the average annual precipitation station data provided by the Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation (CHIRPS). Stressed zonation assessment and analysis in CKRB sub-basins (SB) showed that Paktika SB, Logar SB, and Swat SB were in a high stressed zone, Chitral Kunar SB was in a low stressed zone, while Swat SB, Alingor SB, and Panjshir SB were in a medium stressed zone of GWS. The Analysis of TWS and GWS showed the decreases in GWS in the CKRB were about -0.72 cm/yr. These GWS variations in CKRB signal that future-period variances may tend to be more sensitive over the years.