Authors: Murefu Mike1, Chen Shengbo2
Abstract: Geospatial methods such as remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be used in planning irrigation routes in mountainous areas. Compared to the traditional methods such as ground survey, use of geospatial techniques is quicker, cheaper and less burdening. This study proposes the use of remote sensing and GIS techniques in planning irrigation routes in mountainous regions. The study adopts the hydrological modeling process outlined in ArcGIS Arc Hydro Toolset and uses Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) Version 2 to delineate an irrigation route in the study area. The area of study is located in Zimbabwe’s Eastern highlands. Results show that ASTER GDEM can be applied for irrigation route delineation in mountainous regions using Arc Hydro. An irrigation route of approximately 4.45 km was delineated from a dam which is the irrigation water source. The maximum and minimum elevations above sea level of the route are 1047m and 978m respectively. The maximum and average slope are 18.5% and 3.2% respectively. The results were validated through comparison with Google Earth elevation data. A correlation coefficient of 0.991923 was found between the ASTER GDEM and Google Earth elevations. The study concluded that GIS methods such as Arc Hydro and Remote Sensing data such as ASTER GDEM are suitable tools for determining irrigation routes in mountainous regions
Keywords: Arc Hydro, ASTER Imagery, Geospatial methods, Irrigation
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