english Improving decision support system in identifying vulnerability rating and prioritizing the best interventions for sustainable watersheds in Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka

Abstract

Quantification of watershed vulnerability rating and prioritization of the best watershed management intervention is always a challenge for multidisciplinary experts in developing consensus. Consequently, the lack of a decision support system (DSS) negatively affects the adoption of promising interventions leading to reduced watershed communities’ resilience to climate change. Therefore, a DSS has been developed to integrate local multi-disciplinary knowledge in identifying the watershed vulnerability ratings and prioritizing the best site-specific watershed management interventions. The DSS developed was applied to selected watersheds using 25 local experts each in Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The results showed the DSS is conveniently applicable and effective in developing consensus among multidisciplinary experts. The DSS recommended that the best interventions for the selected watersheds should primarily reduce the existing accelerated land and water degradation through engineering and biological actions, namely the control the rainwater run-off losses through appropriate harvesting systems and their subsequent efficient utilization for improving food security, climate change resilience and livelihood of vulnerable watershed communities. The DSS developed can be helpful in developing local adaptation plans and strengthening the policy support for promoting sustainable watersheds in Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. However, the system needs further refinement through the incorporation of the design, specifications and costing of the interventions and making the data acquisition and analysis automatic using an online electronic system for quicker results and appropriate resource allocation for stimulated adoption.