Developing GIS-based water poverty and rainwater harvesting suitability maps for domestic use in the Dead Sea region (West Bank, Palestine)

Abstract

Abstract. In the arid region of the Dead Sea, water shortage and the inability to\nsatisfy the increasing domestic water demand threatens sustainable\ndevelopment. In such situations, domestic rainwater harvesting is considered\nan efficient way to combat water poverty. This paper aims to develop domestic\nwater poverty (DWP) and domestic rainwater harvesting suitability (DRWHS)\nmaps for the West Bank, Palestine. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and\nthe GIS-based weighted overlay summation process (WOSP) were utilized in the\ndevelopment of these maps. Results of the DWP map indicate that 57\u2009% of\nthe West Bank is under high to very high poverty of domestic water. The DRWHS\nmap shows that 60\u2009% of the West Bank is highly suitable for domestic\nrainwater harvesting. Spatial intersection (combined mapping) between DWP and\nDRWHS maps indicates that around 31\u2009% of the total West Bank areas could\nbe classified as high potential locations (hotspot areas) for adopting\nrainwater harvesting techniques for domestic purposes. The developed maps are\nvaluable to the stakeholders to better identify the best areas of rainwater\nharvesting in the West Bank.