Application of remote sensing and GIS in water resources development

In order to meet exponentially growing demand for water with increasing population, there is a need for proper development and utiliSdtion of water resources. Development and effICient management of water resources primarily depends on proper pfanning, execution, operation and maintenance of water resources projects. Remote sensing and GIS, in recent times, were accepted as effective tools in water resources development and management to replace, complement and supplement ground data. Timely and reliable information on available water resources can be derived from space borne remote sensing data. The satellite remote sensing provides synoptic and repetitive coverage and involves huge amount of spatial data, when integrated with time series information from ground can provide appropriate database and requires an efficient system to handle such data. GIS has evolved as a highly sophisticated data management system to put together and store the voluminous data typically required for water resources studies, both spatial as well as aspatial. Thus, remote sensing and GIS together provide information base for development and efficient management of water resources. This paper discusses an overview of remote sensing and GIS applications in various phases of water resources development and management with some case studies, which would help water resources planners and managers to appreciate the potential of remote sensing and GIS in managing the precious water wealth.