Assessment of Pakistan's Water Storage Changes Using GRACE Satellite

Abstract

Pakistan is a country with diverse range of landscapes and significant agrarian economy, is heavily dependent on its water resources to support several industries and agricultural needs to the country's development. Being an agrarian country, the socioeconomic environment is greatly influenced by the availability and management of water. However, Pakistan has urgent and intricate problems with the delivery and storage of water. To tackle these obstacles, a comprehension of the spatiotemporal fluctuations in water storage throughout the country is necessary. In this context, the study delves into the assessment of Pakistan's water storage changes, specially focus on provincial levels, utilizing data of last two decades from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite. The findings showed that the level of water storage varies significantly. These variations match the mean of the Center for Space Research (CSR) data for the total water storage anomalies (TWSA), which include soil moisture, snow water, surface water and ground water. The spatiotemporal analysis revealed inconsistent TWSA trends across the country. These trends highlight the value of integrated water resource management (IWRM), especially in areas that are more likely to experience droughts and floods and have higher rates of extraction. This study advances knowledge of Pakistan's water storage changes and aids in the development of well-informed decisions for the sustainable management of water resources.