Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Cleaner Production

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jclepro

A decision framework for potential dam site selection using GIS, MIF and
TOPSIS in Ulhas river basin, India
Nitin Liladhar Rane a, *, Anand Achari a, Saurabh Purushottam Choudhary a,
Suraj Kumar Mallick b, Chaitanya B. Pande c, f, g, Aman Srivastava d, Kanak N. Moharir e
a
Architecture, Vivekanand Education Society’s College of Architecture (VESCOA), Mumbai, 400074, India
b
Department of Geography, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, 110017, India
c
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, 411008, India
d
Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, West Bengal, India
e
Department of Earth Science, Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan, India
f
New Era and Development in Civil Engineering Research Group, Scientific Research Center, Al-Ayen University, Thi-Qar, Nasiriyah, 64001, Iraq
g
Institute of Energy Infrastructure, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang, 43000, Malaysia

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Handling Editor: Jun Bi The Ulhas River Basin, India has been severely impacted by climate change, frequent rainfall, and an ineffective
drainage system in recent years, resulting in flooding. To alleviate flood and water scarcity issues, constructing
Keywords: dams in suitable locations is a crucial water management strategy. In this study, potentiality of sites for dam
Dam site selection construction have been evaluated by integrating spatial analytical Multi Influencing Factor (MIF), and Technique
Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM)
for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Twelve climatic, geophysical, and accessibility
Geographic information system (GIS)
factors were considered to delineate the dam site suitability. The dam site selection suitability map produced
MIF
TOPSIS using the weighted overlay to delineate the suitability zones as 5 distinct classes “very high (15.36%),” “high
Sensitivity analysis (27.90%),” “moderate (25.74%),” “low (22.05%)” and “very low (8.95%). Total five suitable locations for dams
have been recommended based on MIF and TOPSIS evaluation. Based on their maximum storage capacity, width,
height, and cost, Dam E was given the highest ranking followed by Dam - C, A, B, and D, respectively. The
majority of the chosen locations for dam construction were situated in the elevated and gently sloping eastern
portion of the Ulhas River Basin. The ROC curve’s AUC value was computed to be 0.806, indicating that the
model’s performance was "good" and suitability map exhibited a strong correlation with the available dam data.
This study provides decision-makers with an inexpensive and useful tool to eliminate less suitable sites and
concentrate on those with fewer limitations for constructing dams, resulting in valuable insights.

1. Introduction sustainable development goal (SDG) and millennium development goal

In regions with low annual precipitation, particularly arid and semi-
arid areas, local governments bear a critical responsibility for ensuring
water supply, and proficient water management is indispensable
(Banerjee, 2015; Fernández García et al., 2020). Developing countries
are more vulnerable to water scarcity due to limited water resources,
unplanned urbanization, and ineffective regulations for managing water
supply and distribution. The universal utilization of water in domestic,
industrial, and agricultural areas is increasing (Biswas, 2008; Priyan,
2021). The United Nations has emphasized provincial and universal
collaboration to identify and resolve water-related issues through
(MDG) (Connor, 2015). Groundwater typically serves as the most reli­
able water source during the dry season (Pande et al., 2022). Never­
theless, towards the end of the dry season, groundwater aquifers tend to
become depleted (Lo et al., 2016; Dey et al., 2017; Nair and Indu, 2021).
Therefore, immediate attention is required for the development of sus­
tainable management of water supply and distribution (Pande, 2020;
Kandekar et al., 2021).
Constructing dam or reservoir is a crucial measure to regulate runoff
and address the scarcity of water resources (Hagos et al., 2022).
Selecting the most appropriate site for the dam is a critical decision in
water supply management (Jozaghi et al., 2018). Choosing an optimal

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: nitinrane33@gmail.com (N.L. Rane).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138890
Received 10 April 2023; Received in revised form 20 June 2023; Accepted 14 September 2023
Available online 14 September 2023
0959-6526/© 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
N.L. Rane et al.
Table 1
Studies on dam site selection in literature.
Author Criteria used to evaluate dam
suitability sites
Kumar et al. By combining multiple criteria
(2008) namely, land use/land cover (LULC),
geomorphology, village road and
buffer, drainage, lineament, and
geology, small units of suitability
were obtained from a composite
layer.
Tsiko and Haile Slope, bedrock type, elevation, soil,
(2011) rainfall, discharge, roads, and
distance from rural areas, urban
areas, fault lines.
Yasser et al. Topographic, economic, health dam,
(2013) hydrological, access to materials,
cost, water quality, damage, and
lateral impact.
Safavian and Slope, distance from village,
Amani (2015) agriculture land, borrow, and severe
erosion areas.
Minatour et al. Health, cost, anuual yield,
(2015) topography, material, water
diversion, river flow, volume,
damage of dam body, water quality,
sediment, evaporation, social,
environmental and political impacts.
Abushandi and Catchment slope, network order, and
Alatawi (2015) runoff coefficient
Esfahani et al. This research examined two different
(2018) axes to study their geomechanical
properties, such as permeability of
the rock mass, its paleoslides, slope
stability, conditions of Alluvium,
RQD, and quality.
Njiru and Siriba The approach utilized in this study
(2018) involved evaluating seven criteria,
which encompassed topographical
elements such as geological features,
slope, soil type, size of the
catchment, land cover, distance from
a river, and distance from roads.
Jozaghi et al. The dam sites are evaluated based on
(2018) geographic and water quality
criteria.
Al-Ruzouq et al. To prepare the dam suitability
(2019) mapping, nine different thematic
layers were taken into account.
These included precipitation, density
of drainage streams, curve number,
geology, geomorphology, elevation
of total dissolved solids, fractures
and slope.
Noori et al. The factors evaluated in this study
(2019) were the geological formation, type
of soil, location of fault and tectonic
lines, slope, rainfall, water
discharge, LULC, altitude, roads, and
materials utilized for building the
dam.
Ajibade et al. Climatic and geophysical aspects
(2020) were taken into account, including
precipitation, soil type, geology
type, runoff, LULC and stream order.
dos Anjos Luís Stream density, elevation, slope, soil,
and Cabral lineaments, distance to villages,
(2021) LULC, rainfall, and roads.
Rahman et al. The primary factors chosen for
(2021) investigation are LULC, slope,
elevation, and river.
Pathan et al. A map to determine the suitability of
(2022) a dam site was created using 10
geospatial layers, which included
soil, geomorphology, geology, road
networks, slope, elevation, distance
Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890
Table 1 (continued )
Author Criteria used to evaluate dam Technique Applied
Technique Applied suitability sites
to a river, rainfall, drainage density,
Weighted overlay and LULC.
Karakuş and For delineating a dams suitable site, Geospatial suitability
Yıldız (2022) nine different criteria were taken mapping using AHP
into consideration, including stream
density, soil types, LULC, slope,
distance to settlement, lineaments,
elevation, rainfall, and proximity to
Geospatially based roads.
fuzzy logic and AHP Hagos et al. Six factors were utilized to Geospatial suitability
(2022) determine appropriate locations for mapping using AHP
dams. These factors were drainage
AHP density, stream order, slope,
potential runoff, LULC, geology, and
proximity to roads. As a result,
suitability maps were generated
MCE-GIS using the model’s output, and their
effectiveness was assessed.
Raaj et al. (2022) In the creation of the dam sites Geospatial suitability
Fuzzy - AHP suitability model, ten different mapping using AHP
thematic layers were assessed. This
included soil, distance to roads,
geology, geomorphology, stream
order, LULC, and rainfall.
Proposed study Climatic, geophysical and GIS-MIF-TOPSIS
Spatial network accessibility criteria including 12
analysis using RS and sub-criteria, namely, Curve Number
GIS (CN), slope, drainage density,
AHP geology, proximity to roads, rainfall,
geomorphology, LULC, soil type,
distance from fault line, elevation,
and distance to river.
Spatial suitability location for constructing a dam can boost water supply security and
analysis with AHP facilitate groundwater replenishment in a region. Nevertheless, dam
construction is costly and has enduring environmental effects. Conse­
quently, opting for the most appropriate dam site can lead to substantial
cost savings (Forzieri et al., 2008; Ajayi et al., 2018). Constructing dams
to store rainwater during the wet season and utilizing it during periods
AHP and TOPSIS of drought is imperative to ensure a steady and consistent water supply
for human needs (Yang et al., 2020; AghaKouchak et al., 2021). Water
Suitability mapping retention is acknowledged as a crucial element for social and economic
and spatial machine progress, providing advantages to both rural and urban communities
learning across nearly all nations globally (van der Zaag and Gupta, 2008; Vai­
dya, 2015). The need for dam construction is increasing due to concerns
like potable water provision, water resource efficiency, irrigation,
drought management, and its ramifications can be economic, environ­
mental, and social (Zhang et al., 2020; Pande et al., 2023). One of the
AHP-Fuzzy most complex and contentious decisions in managing water supply is the
selection of the most suitable location for constructing a dam (World
Commission on Dams, 2000; Jozaghi et al., 2018). Choosing the
appropriate dam site can boost project safety, diminish construction
duration, and decrease construction expenses. Hence, during the initial
phases of dam construction, assessing and selecting different viable dam
Geospatial based fuzzy
overlay technique sites is vital. Optimal site selection can augment reservoir safety and
facilitate groundwater replenishment in a region, while an unsuitable
site selection can lead to detrimental outcomes. Picking an unsuitable
AHP location for the dam site can result in harmful geopolitical,
socio-economic, and biophysical consequences (Ettazarini, 2021;
Weighted overlay Karakuş and Yıldız, 2022).
Traditionally, the selection of dam sites relies on political consider­
ation and conventional decision-making (Kothari, 1996; Al-Ruzouq
AHP-TOPSIS
et al., 2019). Numerous decision support tools exist with the objective of
enhancing water management through nature-based solutions (Pande
and Moharir, 2014; Albert et al., 2019, 2021; Page et al., 2020; Pan
et al., 2021; Kalantari et al., 2023; Moharir et al., 2023). However,
remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS)
2
N.L. Rane et al.
techniques have emerged as more appropriate approaches to under­
standing dam sites. Recent advancements in satellite technology and
computational power have significantly improved the management of
various terrain characteristics and hydrological parameters. A
GIS-supported methodology for dam site selection involves employing
various multicriteria decision-making methods, such as Analytic Hier­
archy Process (AHP), Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to
Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), and AHP-Fuzzy that take into account evalua­
tion criteria such as economic viability, technical feasibility, social
acceptance, environmental impact, and hydrogeological conditions.
Geospatial analysis tools of GIS and advanced processing are can also
utilized (Noori et al., 2019; Al-Ruzouq et al., 2019; Allam et al., 2018;
Galletta et al. 2020, 2023). Studies on dam site selection with different
factors considered in the literature are presented in Table 1.
Advanced MCDM, factual, and numerical strategies such as RS and
GIS, weighted overlay analysis, analytical hierarchy process (AHP), and
fuzzy logic are commonly used to combine spatial information and aid in
dam site selection (Safavian and Amani, 2015; dos Anjos Luís and
Cabral, 2021). The decision-making process in this field is intricate as it
involves various qualitative and quantitative criteria. The
Multi-Influencing Factor (MIF) technique is an efficient tool for geo­
spatial analysis and addresses decision-making problems by taking into
account the effects of each factor and its interactions (Magesh et al.,
2012; Nasir et al., 2018; Anbarasu et al., 2020; Ahmed et al., 2021). The
MIF approach is a versatile and effective method for solving
decision-making problems across a range of industries and domains,
including groundwater potential evaluation (Mandal et al., 2021a;
Sutradhar et al., 2021; Rane and Jayaraj, 2022), urban settlement (Singh
et al., 2021), land degradation (Senapati and Das, 2020), electric vehicle
charging station suitability (Rane et al., 2023) and cropland suitability
(Mandal et al., 2021b; Roy et al., 2022). The TOPSIS is a powerful
MCDM technique that operates on the premise that the optimal solution
is the one that is furthest from the Negative Ideal Solution (NIS) and
nearest to the Positive Ideal Solution (PIS). The PIS is the alternative
with the most favourable values for all criteria, while the NIS is a hy­
pothetical alternative with the worst possible values of criteria. This
approach allows decision-makers to effectively compare alternatives
and identify the most promising solutions to complex problems (Beh­
zadian et al., 2012).
MIF embodies the harmonious integration and synergy of various
thematic elements, giving rise to the powerful concept of multi­
collinearity. In contrast to traditional multilinear regression, where
multicollinearity is often viewed as a hindrance, it actually plays a
pivotal role in generating exceptional spatial suitability zones within
MIF (Magesh et al., 2012; Etikala et al., 2019; Sutradhar et al., 2021).
The MIF approach involves the interplay of specific elements, whereas
the Machine Learning, ANN, and AHP approaches depend solely on
expert opinions and literature review. As a result, there is always room
for human error. Numerous papers have been written about the use of
MCDM techniques to identify a suitable location for constructing a dam.
However, the authors are unaware of any research that evaluates the
effectiveness of GIS-MIF and TOPSIS techniques in addressing dam site
selection problems.
However, it is important to understand the research gap and signif­
icance of this study. This study has been rely on different innovative and
novel approaches as follows.
1. For the first time, integrated GIS-based MIF and TOPSIS are utilized
to tackle dam site selection problems. The existing literature on site
selection for dams has been limited and inadequate in terms of
spatial analysis. By employing spatial analysis-based MCDM tech­
niques in dam site selection, the accuracy and dependability of the
analysis are enhanced.
2. The problem of selecting a suitable location for constructing a dam is
considered a MCDM problem due to the vast number of criteria
involved. Furthermore, the interdependent nature of the site
3
Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890
selection problem necessitates a solution that takes into account
uncertainties. A comprehensive framework involving twelve criteria
is proposed to address this issue. The MIF and TOPSIS methods are
chosen to tackle this problem.
3. The study area selected is the Ulhas River, which runs through Navi
Mumbai, Badlapur, and Kalyan Dombivali regions. During the
monsoon season, flooding poses the greatest threat to these areas.
The absence of dams along this river lead to urban flooding,
decreased agricultural water supply, and water scarcity. To address
this issue, the current research aims to delineate the potential dam
sites in the Ulhas River basin in India. To accomplish this goal, two
MCDM techniques (MIF and TOPSIS) were integrated with GIS to
determine the ideal location for a proposed dam. The results of this
research can be utilized by decision-makers, local government, and
disaster management authorities for identifying an optimal dam site
in a research area.
4. During the site selection process, the suitability map derived from
spatial analysis and the zoning status of the appropriate regions are
considered when making assignments. This approach ensures that
the assignment processes are appropriate for real-world situations.
The aim of this research is to explore and address key aspects of dam
site selection. The present research conducted on the Ulhas River basin
in India, an area prone to flooding during the monsoon season. The lack
of dams along the river exacerbates issues such as urban flooding,
reduced agricultural water availability, and water scarcity. To address
this, the study seeks to employ novel geospatial based MIF and TOPSIS
methodologies to locate ideal dam sites within the study area. The
outcomes of this research can be leveraged by decision-makers, local
government entities, and disaster management authorities to pinpoint
the most suitable dam location and alleviate the dangers associated with
flooding and water scarcity in the region. Therefore, this study helps to
explore and outline some of the significant questions as follows.
1) How can the integration of GIS-based MIF and TOPSIS methods
enhance the interrelationship-based accuracy and reliability of dam
site selection?
2) How can the results of the dam site selection study using GIS-MIF and
TOPSIS methods be utilized by decision-makers, local government,
and disaster management authorities in the research area to sus­
tainable water management, disaster risk reduction, and water sup­
ply security?
3) What is the role of spatial analysis and zoning in the dam site se­
lection process, and how can they be effectively integrated with GIS
and MCDM techniques?
To address the problem and research questions on dam site selection,
this study is envisaged by utilizing integrated GIS-based MIF and TOPSIS
methodologies. The objectives of the study are specified as follows.
1) Enhance the accuracy and reliability of dam site selection problem
by employing novel spatial analysis-based MIF and TOPSIS
techniques.
2) Develop a comprehensive framework consisting of twelve criteria to
solve the complex and interdependent problem of dam site selection,
while considering uncertainties in the decision-making process.
3) Identify potential dam sites in the Ulhas River basin in India to
address challenges such as flooding, urban flooding, reduced agri­
cultural water supply, and water scarcity during the monsoon
season.
4) Provide valuable insights and results that can be utilized by decision-
makers, local government, and disaster management authorities.
The research paper is structured into various sections and sub­
sections, starting with the introduction. The introduction provides a
comprehensive overview of the study, including the motivation,
N.L. Rane et al.
Fig. 1. Location map of study area based on the high-resolution slope map where yellow colour shows the comparatively gentle slope, and dark blue colour rep­
resents the high slope areas using DEM data. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of
this article.)
problem statement, study objectives, research contribution, research
questions, methodology, key findings, and the overall structure of the
paper. Next, the methodology section delves into the details of the study.
It discusses the study area, the process of acquiring and characterizing
the data, the utilization of the MIF, the implementation of the TOPSIS
model, the sensitivity analysis conducted, and the assessment of accu­
racy. Moving on, the results and discussion section presents several
important aspects. It includes the presentation of a suitability map, the
assessment of suitable dam sites, the evaluation of the TOPSIS model,
the outcomes of the sensitivity analysis, the validation of the suitability
map, and in-depth discussions regarding these results. Finally, the paper
concludes by summarizing the findings obtained from the research and
presenting the overall conclusions derived from the study.
2. Methodology
2.1. Study area
The Ulhas River basin, covering approximately 4390 km2 (Fig. 1), is
situated in Western Maharashtra, India, spanning across three districts:
Thane, Raigad, and Pune. The Ulhas River, which is one of the promi­
nent rivers in Western Maharashtra, is the main river in the study area.
Its source is located in the northern valley of the Rajmachi hills. The
Ulhas River flows for approximately 122 km before emptying to Arabian
Sea (Doke et al., 2021). The Ulhas River is fed by two significant trib­
utaries, Kalu and Bhasta. The river’s water is used for drinking purposes
by major townships including Dombivali, Kalyan, Badlapur, and Navi
Mumbai, in addition to groundwater. During monsoon season, the
dendritic river gathers all surface water which entering the basin due to
intense rainfall. The coastal plain is characterized by alluvium thick
deposits with a substantial coarse material matrix. The study region
exhibits a high lineaments density, primarily located in the SSW-NNE
directions (Das, 2019). The basin comprises three significant geomor­
phological units: (1) the coastal lowland area [western portion] (2) the
pediment [central portion], and (3) steep escarpment [eastern portion].
An average of 3000 mm of rainfall is received annually in the study area,
with most of it falling heavily during the monsoon season. Around 15 ◦ C
and 35 ◦ C are the average minimum and maximum temperatures
experienced during winter and summer, respectively (Doke et al., 2021).
The primary rock type in the study area is Deccan basalt, which formed
about 65 Ma ago during the late Cretaceous period. Marine sediments
4
Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890
are deposited near the seacoast on the western side of the basin, while,
small patches of alluvium can be found in the western and eastern parts
of the basin.
The western region of Ulhas catchment, where the primary tribu­
taries converge with the main river, is highly susceptible to disastrous
floods caused by prolonged heavy rainfall. The semi-circular shape and
dendritic drainage pattern of the region exacerbate the flooding. The
surge in population in Mumbai metropolitan has led to land-use
changes, compounded by torrential rainfall, further increasing the fre­
quency of floods. Thane and Badlapur, prominent towns in the catch­
ment, are regularly affected by these floods (Das, 2019). In 2005,
Mumbai City was severely affected by floods due to the absence of a
flood control dam in close proximity. The calamity had devastating
consequences for many lives. The construction of a flood control dam in
the proposed study location could potentially mitigate future flood im­
pacts in Mumbai. With the rise of urbanization in the study area, there is
a significant surge in the demand for water resources, and it is crucial to
meet these demands adequately to ensure sustainable development
(Gandy, 2008; Rode, 2014; Trindade et al., 2021). To address the
growing domestic and industrial demands, effective water resource
management techniques need to be implemented, and dam siting plays a
crucial role in this regard (Anand, 2017; Tiwale, 2021). Not only can
dam siting fulfil domestic and industrial water needs, but it can also
generate renewable energy through hydropower. The mapping of dam
site suitability using the method employed in this study is crucial in
supplying decision-makers with resource data for managing regional
water resources sustainably and identifying the most appropriate loca­
tions for constructing new dams.
2.2. Data acquisition and characterization
The first step in data collection for MCDM and GIS is to determine the
criteria that will be used to make the decision. Once the decision criteria
have been established, the next step is to identify the data sources that
will be used to collect the necessary data. This may include data from
government agencies, commercial sources, or field surveys. According
to FAO (2003), six main considerations when choosing a prospective
area for a dam and reservoir need to be considered: topography, climate,
hydrology, soil quality, agronomic factors, and socioeconomics. There­
fore, twelve climatic, geophysical, and accessibility factors were
considered to delineate the dam site suitability, including Curve Number
N.L. Rane et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890

Table 2 and Yıldız, 2022; Hagos et al., 2022; Raaj et al., 2022) and data avail­
Data acquisition and source. ability. Fig. 3 shows the interrelationship of dam site selection factors.
Sl. Input dataset Data source Scale The weights calculation of the multi-influencing dam site suitability
No. factors is shown in Table 3. Each major variable is assigned a weight of
1 Digital Elevation USGS Earth Explorer datasets portal 30 m × 1.0, while each minor variable is assigned a weight of 0.5 (Selvam et al.,
Model (DEM) (http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/) 30 m 2014; Farhat et al., 2023; Yadav et al., 2023). When calculating
2 Toposheets Survey of India (SOI) 1:50000 comparative rates, the combined weight of both major and minor vari­
3 Soil texture National Bureau of Soil Survey 1:50000 ables is taken into account. Additionally, each connection is weighed
Department (NBSS)
4 Landsat 8 OLI USGS Earth Explorer datasets portal 30 m ×
based on its effectiveness (Abijith et al., 2020). The weight of each
imagery (http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/) 30 m influencing parameter is determined using the following equation
5 Rainfall India Meteorological Department Daily (Pande et al., 2021):
6 Fault line Geological survey of India (GSI), Vector
Government of India data P+Q
Weight (Wi ) = ∑ X 100 (1)
7 Geology Geological survey of India (GSI), Vector P+Q
Government of India data
In the given equation, P represents the major influencing criteria, Q
represents the minor influencing criteria, and Wi represents the weight
(CN), slope, drainage density, geology, proximity to roads, rainfall, of each criteria.
geomorphology, LULC, soil type, distance from fault line, elevation, and Once the weights of each criterion were computed, ranks were
distance to river. The elevation and slope criteria were derived using a assigned to enable reclassification. The reclassified values of each cri­
Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with a spatial resolution of 30 m. Fault terion shown in Table 5. With weights and ranks assigned to factors and
line and geology was obtained from the Geological survey of India (GSI), their subclasses, a weighted overlay method was used to integrate all
Government of India. The distance to roads, settlements, and rivers were inputs, as shown in equation (2):
prepared by analysing the road, settlement, and river data acquired from
∑
n
the Toposheets of Survey of India (SOI) by calculating Euclidean dis­ DSSI = Wi Ri (2)
tance. The soil texture map was collected from the National Bureau of i=1
Soil Survey Department (NBSS). The Landsat 8 OLI imagery obtained
from USGS Earth Explorer datasets portal (http://earthexplorer.usgs. Where, DSSI is the dam site suitability index, Wi Ri the weights of the
gov/) was used to prepare LULC using supervised classification in criteria and the weights of the features in criteria respectively. Fig. 4
ERDAS Imagine software. Table 2 shows the acquisition and source of shows the spatial variations of each criteria.
the datasets.
By utilizing the hydrology extension in ArcGIS software, stream in­
2.4. TOPSIS model
formation was acquired for the study region through various procedures
such as gap filling, flow direction determination, flow accumulation
The TOPSIS approach, devised by Hwang and Yoon (1981), offers a
calculation, and flow network definition using DEM data. Furthermore,
practical approach to address real-world MCDM problems (Behzadian
the line density tool in ArcGIS software was used to analyze stream data
et al., 2012). This technique assists engineers and decision-makers in
and to determine the stream density. The RS data was in raster format,
evaluating and prioritizing a range of alternative choices. In TOPSIS, the
whereas the other datasets, in vector format were transformed to raster
ranking of alternatives is determined by their proximity to the PIS and
layer. The GIS environment was used to prepare all datasets in raster
their distance from the NIS. The product of the two distances determines
layer for evaluation. The criteria for selecting a dam site were classified
the closeness coefficient, and consequently, the solution with the highest
based on their efficiency levels, and a criterion standardization process
closeness coefficient is considered the optimal solution (Chu, 2002; Ye
was performed. To categorize thematic layers into five classes, the Jenks
and Li, 2014). This study utilized the TOPSIS model, which involved
natural break classification was used. This classification involves data
eight steps as outlined below (Yue, 2011; Ramya and Devadas, 2019;
clustering, which identifies breakpoints between groups of data in order
Aliani et al., 2021).
to achieve an optimal arrangement of values into separate classes (Chen
et al., 2013). The integration of GIS and MIF was used to assess all
Step 1 Determining weights of criteria and development of decision
criteria and generate a map of suitable dam sites. In the final step of the
matrix
approach, an accuracy analysis was performed using existing dam lo­
cations and the dam site suitability map. As a result, three suitable lo­
The initial stage involves preparing a decision matrix based on the
cations for dams in the Ulhas River basin were proposed. Additionally,
parameters’ performance values.
the geometry of the dams, including their shape, storage capacity,
⎡ ⎤
width, and height were analysed. The relative closeness of TOPSIS was u u2 … un
A1 ⎢ 1
then utilized to classify the suitable dam sites. The flowchart of the r r12 … r1n ⎥
( ) A ⎢ 11 ⎥
methodology employed in this study is illustrated in Fig. 2. R = rij m×n = 2 ⎢ r r22 … r2n ⎥ (3)
⋮ ⎢
⎣ ⋮
21 ⎥
⋮ ⋮ ⋮ ⎦
Am
rm1 rm2 … rmn
2.3. Multi-influence factor (MIF)
where, rij is the value of jth attribute in the ith alternative.
Twelve parameters are identified as interdependent factors that
affect the suitability of a dam site. To determine the level of influence of
Step 2 Calculating normalized decision matrix
each parameter on the others, the MIF technique is employed and
weights are assigned accordingly (Fig. 2). Using the MIF technique, the
The normalized chart is formed utilizing the equation below.
weights of the influence parameters can be determined effectively and
/ √̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
accurately, making it a quick and efficient method to understand the ∑ m
( )2
potential of a dam site. In this study, the selection of criteria and its rij = xij xij , i = 1, 2, …m; j = 1, 2, …n (4)
relationship were based on previous studies (Jozaghi et al., 2018;
i=1

Al-Ruzouq et al., 2019; Noori et al., 2019; Ajibade et al., 2020; dos Anjos
Luís and Cabral, 2021; Rahman et al., 2021; Pathan et al., 2022; Karakuş Step 3 Calculating weighted normalized decision matrix

5
N.L. Rane et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890

Fig. 2. Flowchart of decision framework for potential dam site selection.

In this step, weighted normalized scores (Vij) are determined by [ ]

multiplying values of normalized decision matrix (rij) and normalized A+ = v+ + +
1 , …, vj , …, vn
weights (wj) of parameters. [ ] (6)
A− = v−1 , …, v−j , …, v−n
vij = wj × rij i = 1, 2, …m; j = 1, 2, …n (5)
where A+ defines the PIS and A- defines the NIS, and the following
Step 4 Determining PIS and NIS equation justifies,
⎧ + { }
⎨ vj = max vij i = 1, 2, …, m
The PIS is valuable as it maximizes benefits and minimizes costs i
{ } if the jth parameter is the beneficial, and
simultaneously. Conversely, the Negative Ideal Solution produces the ⎩ v−j = min vij i = 1, 2, …, m
i
opposite outcome. The following equations are used to obtain these (7)
values:

6
N.L. Rane et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890

Fig. 3. Interrelationship and association between the conditioning factors of dam site selection.

⎧ + { }
Table 3 ⎨ vj = min vij i = 1, 2, …, m
i
Weights calculation of selected conditioning factors using MIF model. { } if the jth parameter is the non − beneficial.
⎩ v−j = max vij i = 1, 2, …, m
Factor Major Minor Relative effect Weight i

effect (P) effect (Q) (P + Q) (Wi ) (8)

Curve Number (CN) 0.00 0.50 0.50 2.439
Slope 2.00 0.00 2.00 9.756
Step 5 Calculating each alternative separation from the PIS and the NIS
Drainage Density 2.00 0.00 2.00 9.756
Geology 1.00 0.00 1.00 4.878
Proximity to roads 1.00 0.50 1.50 7.317 In TOPSIS two separation measure are utilized, one is for Positive
Rainfall 2.00 0.00 2.00 9.756 Ideal Distinction (S+
i ) and another one is Negative Ideal Distinction (Si ).
−
Geomorphology 1.00 0.00 1.00 4.878
LULC 2.00 0.00 2.00 9.756 n ⃒
∑ ⃒ ∑n
⃒ ⃒
Soil type 2.00 0.00 2.00 9.756 Si+ = ⃒vij − v+
j ⃒= D+
ij (9)
Distance from fault 0.00 1.00 1.00 4.878 j=1 j=1

line
n ⃒ ⃒ ∑
Elevation 3.00 0.50 3.50 17.073 ∑ ⃒ ⃒
n

Distance to river 2.00 0.00 2.00 9.756 Si− = ⃒vij − v−j ⃒ = D−ij (10)
j=1 j=1
Ʃ 20.50 100.000

Step 6 Calculating relative closeness (RC+

i ) to the PIS

7
N.L. Rane et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890

Fig. 4. Spatial variation in a) Curve Number (CN), b) drainage density, c) geology, d) proximity to roads, e) rainfall, f) geomorphology, g) LULC, h) soil type, i)
distance from fault line, j) elevation, k) distance to river.

In this step, Relative Closeness value of ith alternative is computed

Table 4
using the following equation.
Equations of performance matrix.
( − )/( + )
Performance matrix Equation RC+i = Si Si + Si− (11)
Efficiency (accuracy) TP + TN Large RC values shows that alternative i is better but smaller RC
P+N
False negative rate (miss rate) FN FN
value indicates poorer condition of i alternative.
= = 1 − TPR The final stage involves arranging the list of locations in a descending
P FN + TP
TNR (specificity) TN TN order based on their RC+
= i value, and selecting those for further action.
N TN + FP
FPR (fall-out; 1–specificity) FP FP TN
= = 1−
N FP + TN TN + FP 2.5. Sensitivity analysis
TPR (sensitivity) TP TP
=
P TP + FN
In this study, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to evaluate the
uncertainty, relative importance of input factors, and the effect of
assigned ranks and weights to each class and thematic layer. To avoid
the problem of "equifinality", a "parsimonious" approach was utilized to
identify appropriate dam sites by selecting only the most significant and

8
N.L. Rane et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890

Table 5
Dam site selection parameters with their suitability.
Sr. Factor Feature Number of Area Area Relation Significance of criteria References
No. pixel in class (km2) (%)

1 Curve Number 66 1,146,657 1031.99 23.50 Direct A higher Curve Number is (Othman et al., 2020;
(CN) 78 663,966 597.57 13.61 preferred Hagos et al., 2022)
79 466,684 420.02 9.57
85 663,966 468.52 10.67
86 1,998,263 1798.44 40.96
100 82,515 74.26 1.69
2 Slope (Degree) 0–5.21 2,824,543 2542.09 57.90 Inversely The gentle slope is suitable (Chezgi et al., 2016;
5.22–12.45 1,056,014 950.41 21.65 Jozaghi et al., 2018)
12.46–21.71 576,882 519.19 11.82
21.72–34.45 324,294 291.87 6.65
34.46–73.82 96,933 87.24 1.99
3 Drainage Density 0–0.34 1,353,782 1218.40 27.75 Direct A higher drainage density (Al-Ruzouq et al., 2019;
(km/km2) 0.34–0.69 1,360,468 1224.42 27.89 indicates greater suitability Pathan et al., 2022)
0.69–1.08 1,030,490 927.44 21.12
1.08–1.54 859,924 773.93 17.63
1.54–2.51 274,002 246.60 5.62
4 Geology Weathered Basalt 57,003 51.30 1.17 Direct For the dam site, a stronger (Baban and Wan-Yusof,
Marine Sediment 156,424 140.78 3.21 foundation is chosen. 2003; Abtew et al., 2019)
Basalt 4542,162 4087.95 93.10
Alluvium 125,563 113.01 2.57
5 Proximity to roads 0 - 2233.43 1,868,343 1681.51 38.30 Inversely A shorter distance between the (Ghazal and Salman,
(m) 2233.43–5128.63 1,330,485 1197.44 27.27 dam and the road is preferred 2015)
5128.63–8602.87 815,011 733.51 16.71
8602.87–12,738.87 553,589 498.23 11.35
12,738.87–21,093.58 311,238 280.11 6.38
6 Rainfall (mm) >3718 313,388 282.05 6.42 Direct It has a direct relationship with (Rakhecha et al., 1995;
3227–3718 1,428,157 1285.34 29.27 the peak discharge Dhandre et al., 2016;
2736–3227 1,859,497 1673.55 38.11 Noori et al., 2019)
2245–2736 1,053,357 948.02 21.59
<1754 51,127 46.01 1.05
1754–2245 169,704 152.73 3.48
7 Geomorphology Lava plateau 2,177,340 1959.61 44.63 – Depicts the physical Pathan et al. (2022)
Costal Plain 253,222 227.90 5.19 characteristics of the land surface
Structural hills 32,734 29.46 0.67
Denudational hills 60,495 54.45 1.24
Pediment prdiplain 2,354,875 2119.39 48.27
complex
8 LULC Scrub forest 1,146,657 1031.99 23.50 – The current usage and land Karakuş and Yıldız (2022)
Agriculture 663,966 597.57 13.61 availability
Natural vegetation 466,684 420.02 9.57
Settlement 663,966 468.52 10.67
Bare land 1,998,263 1798.44 40.96
Water bodies 82,515 74.26 1.69
9 Soil type Clay soil 1,082,531 974.28 22.19 – The foundation soil should exhibit Al-Ruzouq et al. (2019)
Loamy soil 3,796,135 3416.52 77.81 a low infiltration rate
10 Distance from fault 0.00–1000.00 665,352 598.82 13.64 Direct A site that exhibits fault lines (Noori et al., 2019)
line 1000.00–2500.00 857,869 772.08 17.58 along the stream should be
2500.00–5000.00 1,094,635 985.17 22.44 excluded
5000.00–7500.00 773,731 696.36 15.86
7500.00–10000.00 1,487,079 1338.37 30.48
11 Elevation 0–88.02 2,499,571 2249.61 51.23 Inversely As elevation increases, velocity Mura et al. (2018)
88.02–209.07 1,384,472 1246.02 28.38 tends to increase while flow
209.07–419.14 668,818 601.936 13.71 accumulation decreases
419.14–724.00 218,901 197.011 4.49
724.00–1394.04 106,904 96.2136 2.19
12 Distance to river 0.00–500.00 721,652 649.4868 14.79 Inversely Closeness to the river increases (dos Anjos Luís and
(m) 500.00–1000.00 633,207 569.8863 12.98 the suitability. Cabral, 2021)
1000.00–2000.00 1,121,182 1009.0638 22.98
2000.00–5000.00 1,975,624 1778.0616 40.50
>5000.00 427,001 384.3009 8.75

sensitive criteria (Kumar et al., 2019). To assess the relative sensitivity themes have been removed once, and the resulting variation in the
of 12 themes, a map-removal technique suggested by Napolitano and output of each dam site suitability index with one less theme is
Fabbri (1996) and Saidi et al. (2011) was employed. Spatial sensitivity compared to the original index calculated earlier for all criteria. The
refers to the investigation of how altering input parameters affects the variation in the dam site suitability index is evaluated using the varia­
outcome of any given analysis. Map removal sensitivity analysis tion index, which is calculated as follows:
involved removing one criteria map at a time from the total 12 criteria, ⃒ ⃒
⃒ ⃒
and then computing the dam site suitability index using the remaining ⃒DSSZ ( DSSZ′)⃒
⃒ N − ⃒
11 themes through weighted overlay analysis. The above-mentioned SI = ⃒⃒ n ⃒ X 100
⃒ (12)
process is repeated for each of the 12 themes, and the corresponding ⃒ DSSZ ⃒
⃒ ⃒
dam site suitability index is computed. This process continues until all

9
N.L. Rane et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890

Table 6
MIF Weights with normalized and total weights of each criterion.
Sr. No. Factor Weight Class Rank Weighted rating Normalized weight Total Weight

1 Curve Number (CN) 2.439 66 1 2.439 0.053 0.004

78 2 4.878 0.105 0.009
79 3 7.317 0.158 0.013
85 4 9.756 0.211 0.018
86 4 9.756 0.211 0.018
100 5 12.195 0.263 0.022
2 Slope (Degree) 9.756 0–5.21 5 48.780 0.333 0.028
5.22–12.45 4 39.024 0.267 0.022
12.46–21.71 3 29.268 0.200 0.017
21.72–34.45 2 19.512 0.133 0.011
34.46–73.82 1 9.756 0.067 0.006
3 Drainage Density (km/km2) 9.756 0–0.34 1 9.756 0.067 0.006
0.34–0.69 2 19.512 0.133 0.011
0.69–1.08 3 29.268 0.200 0.017
1.08–1.54 4 39.024 0.267 0.022
1.54–2.51 5 48.780 0.333 0.028
4 Geology 4.878 Weathered Basalt 4 19.512 0.333 0.028
Marine Sediment 2 9.756 0.167 0.014
Basalt 5 24.390 0.417 0.035
Alluvium 1 4.878 0.083 0.007
5 Proximity to roads (m) 7.317 0 - 2233.43 5 36.585 0.333 0.028
2233.43–5128.63 4 29.268 0.267 0.022
5128.63–8602.87 3 21.951 0.200 0.017
8602.87–12,738.87 2 14.634 0.133 0.011
12,738.87–21,093.58 1 7.317 0.067 0.006
6 Rainfall (mm) 9.756 >3718 5 48.780 0.313 0.026
3227–3718 4 39.024 0.250 0.021
2736–3227 3 29.268 0.188 0.016
2245–2736 2 19.512 0.125 0.010
1754–2245 1 9.756 0.063 0.005
<1754 1 9.756 0.063 0.005
7 Geomorphology 4.878 Lava plateau 5 24.390 0.333 0.028
Coastal Plain 3 14.634 0.200 0.017
Structural hills 1 4.878 0.067 0.006
Denudational hills 2 9.756 0.133 0.011
Pediment pediplain complex 4 19.512 0.267 0.022
8 LULC 9.756 Scrub forest 2 19.512 0.118 0.010
Agriculture 5 48.780 0.294 0.025
Natural vegetation 2 19.512 0.118 0.010
Settlement 3 29.268 0.176 0.015
Bare land 4 39.024 0.235 0.020
Water bodies 1 9.756 0.059 0.005
9 Soil type 9.756 Clay soil 4 39.024 0.667 0.056
Loamy soil 2 19.512 0.333 0.028
10 Distance from fault line (m) 4.878 0.00–1000.00 1 4.878 0.067 0.006
1000.00–2500.00 2 9.756 0.133 0.011
2500.00–5000.00 3 14.634 0.200 0.017
5000.00–7500.00 4 19.512 0.267 0.022
>7500.00 5 24.390 0.333 0.028
11 Elevation (m AMSL) 17.073 0–88.02 5 85.366 0.333 0.028
88.02–209.07 4 68.293 0.267 0.022
209.07–419.14 3 51.220 0.200 0.017
419.14–724.00 2 34.146 0.133 0.011
724.00–1394.04 1 17.073 0.067 0.006
12 Distance to river (m) 9.756 0.00–500.00 5 48.780 0.333 0.028
500.00–1000.00 4 39.024 0.267 0.022
1000.00–2000.00 3 29.268 0.200 0.017
2000.00–5000.00 2 19.512 0.133 0.011
>5000.00 1 9.756 0.067 0.006

where SI refers to the sensitivity index represents the impact of

Table 7
Dam site suitability statistics. excluding a thematic layer from the analysis, DSSZ is dam site suitability
zone determined using all factors, DSSZ′ represents the suitability zone
Site suitability Area (sq.km) Area (%) Site suitability Index range
computed by excluding one criterion at a time, N represents the number
Very low 392.90 8.95 5.41–167.57 of criteria used to delineate the DSSZ mapping and n represents the
Low 967.95 22.05 167.58–262.16
Moderate 1130.11 25.74 262.17–343.25 number of criteria considered for producing the DSSZ′ mapping.
High 1224.57 27.90 343.26–410.81
Very high 674.24 15.36 410.82–535.14
2.6. Accuracy assessment

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) is a statistical technique that

is commonly used to evaluate the performance of a binary classifier,

10
N.L. Rane et al.
Fig. 5. Delineated potential sites zones for dam construction.
Fig. 6. Cross section and surface area of proposed dam site-A.
which is a model that predicts the presence or absence of a particular
outcome based on a set of input features (Huang and Ling, 2005;
Muschelli, 2020). In the context of dam site selection, ROC analysis can
be used to evaluate the performance of a model that predicts whether a
particular location is suitable for building a dam or not. The ROC curve
is generated by plotting the False Positive Rate (FPR) against the True
Positive Rate (TPR) for different threshold values. The calculation of
TPR, FPR, True Negatives (TN), True Positives (TP), False Negatives
(FN), False Positives (FP), number of negatives (N), and number of
positives (P) is involved in this process. The TPR represents the ratio of
11
Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890
correctly identified positive cases by the model, while the FPR repre­
sents the ratio of negative cases incorrectly identified as positive by the
model. The overall performance of the MIF is analysed by computing the
area under ROC curve (AUC). A perfect performance is indicated by an
AUC value of 1.0, whereas a model that is no better than random chance
has an AUC value of 0.5 (Fan et al., 2006). In the context of dam site
selection, a model with a high AUC would be able to accurately predict
which locations are suitable for building a dam, while minimizing the
risk of identifying unsuitable locations as suitable. This would help to
ensure that the dam is built in a safe and sustainable location. In this
study, the existing 12 dams’ sites are used doe validating the suitability
analysis. Sensitivity refers to the ratio of accurately predicted events (i.
e., the selection of suitable dam sites), whereas specificity denotes the
ratio of pixels that are not suitable for the correct identification of dam
sites (Rahmati et al., 2019). Table 4 shows the equations of performance
matrix.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Suitability map
Table 5 shows the criteria of dam site selection and their level of
suitability. A composite layer for dam site suitability was generated by
integrating all criteria and categorized into five classes. Table 6 shows
the MIF weights with normalized and total weights of each criterion. The
analysis presented in Table 7 and Fig. 5 reveals that the area classified as
very high suitable covers 674.24 km2 (15.36%) of the basin, with a
significant concentration near the stream channel. The high suitable
class, which is the most dominant, covers 1224.57 km2 (27.90%) and is
distributed proportionally throughout the basin. The moderately suit­
able class accounts for 1130.11 km2 (25.74%). Areas classified as low
suitable make up 967.95 km2 (22.05%) of the basin and are primarily
situated in high-elevation areas. The very low suitable region, which
covers 392.90 km2 (8.95%), is mainly located in the eastern portion of
basin, particularly on mountain ranges, peaks, and areas close to fault
lines. The suitability mapping of the dam site in basin is presented in
Fig. 5, which clearly illustrates that the east-northern part of Ulhas basin
has a significantly low potentiality for dam sites. The reason for the
notably low suitability for dam sites in the north-eastern regions of the
Ulhas basin may be attributed to the high slopes and lower rainfall in
that area. On the other hand, the eastern and central regions of the basin
exhibit a high to very high suitability, likely due to a slope of less than
5.21◦ and a higher amount of rainfall. Therefore, water accumulation is
more. Furthermore, the intermediate portion between high slope to low
slope of basin have moderately suitability region.
3.2. Assessment of suitable dam sites
The evaluation of the suitable dam sites involves 9 criteria: contour
closeness, catchment area, 3D and 2D surface area, height, width,
maximum reservoir volume, dam base, and elevation (Figs. 6–10). To
generate contour maps with 50 m contour intervals, the clipped reser­
voir coverage DEM is utilized. A triangulated irregular network (TIN) is
then prepared from the contours to calculate the dam’s 3D and 2D
surface area, as well as its volume. The 3D analyst tool’s surface volume
sub tool in the ArcGIS platform is utilized to ascertain the dam’s 3D and
2D surface area, volume, and proposed dam’s width and height. The
Spatial Analysis Tool was utilized to create the catchment utilizing the
dam’s outlet for measuring the watershed area. The overall suitability
map depicted in Fig. 5 indicates that there are suitable sites located in
the central portion. Considering the current dam/reservoir and its rural
surroundings, constructing a new dam is deemed unnecessary and not
recommended. The area near the outlet of the watershed, which is
moderately suitable, is also considered unsatisfactory due to its coverage
by the Thane metropolitan region. Consequently, this study identified
five feasible dam sites by assessing the stream map, overall suitability,
N.L. Rane et al.
Fig. 7. Cross section and surface area of proposed dam site-B.
and evaluating the listed dam evaluation parameters.
Dams are typically built-in valleys rather than on flat terrain, and it is
recommended to select a site with a narrow drainage area to reduce
construction costs (Jozaghi et al., 2018; Odiji et al., 2021). This study
proposes a semi-automated method for identifying an optimal site with a
narrow valley and a significant head drop. Gravity dams are usually
well-suited for such sites. By intersecting contour lines with suitability
index mapping and rivers, various line features are marked which shows
the narrow valley. The stream flow order refers to the relative size of the
stream. The first flow order represents the smallest tributaries of the
stream, while the highest order represents the largest tributaries (Han­
sen, 2001). The selected dam sites, which have an adequate minimum
flow, are located on streams of second, third and fourth orders that fall
within the high and very high suitable areas with good storage capac­
ities. These suitable dam sites are situated away from fault lines, have
favourable geological structures, experience moderate to very high
rainfall, high drainage density, and are in close proximity to roads and
rivers with high CN. Additionally, the dam sites are situated in narrow
valleys between hills and other landforms. The broad valley rendered
the fifth order stream unsuitable, while the inadequate minimum flow
deemed the first order streams unsuitable. The proposed dam locations’
height and width characteristics were represented in the cross-sectional
profile (Figs. 6–10). The V-shaped valleys at dam sites B, C, D, and E
provide suitable water diversion system and embankment for dam
structure. This feature is expected to minimize environmental impact
and reduce the cost of construction (Shao et al., 2020).
The slope map (Fig. 4b) shows that the slope at the suitable dam sites
12
Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890
is low, measuring less than 5.21◦ . Similarly, the elevation (Fig. 4J) is also
low, measuring less than 88.02 m above mean sea level (AMSL). These
factors indicate that the proposed locations are suitable for a dam, as
these parameters are ideal for dam construction (Jozaghi et al., 2018;
Karakuş, and Yıldız, 2022). The optimal dam sites were identified as
Karjat, Sugave, Borgaon, Nadhai, and Bhagdal, and were denoted as
Dams A, B, C, D, and E, respectively. The storage capacity and height of a
dam are the major parameter influencing dam site suitability (Robinson,
2006). As per Robinson (2006) storage capacities, the selected Dam B, C,
and D were classified as a medium dam, while Dam A and E were
classified as large Dam. Table 8 shows the proposed dam sites
characteristics.
Five proposed dams, namely Dam A, B, C, D, and E, were planned in
highly suitable areas. Dam A near Karjat has a height of 27.35m, width
of 1112.36m, and a maximum storage volume of 168,114,390.84 m3.
Dam B near Sugave has a height of 17.68m, width of 455.63m, and a
storage volume of 8,200,772.95 m3. Dam C near Borgaon has a height of
26.38m, width of 425.35m, and a storage volume of 39,217,164.45 m3.
Dam D near Nadhai has a height of 7.86m, width of 270.63m, and a
maximum storage volume of 2,775,218.88m3. Finally, Dam E near
Bhagdal has a height of 38.36m, width of 548.63m, and the largest
storage volume of 1,020,501,217.97 m3. Out of the five dams, Dam E has
the highest storage capacity, which is 1,020,501,217.97 m3 and it stands
at a height of 38.36 m. The second-highest storage capacity is held by
Dam C, which can store up to 168,114,390.84 m3 at a height of 27.35 m.
In contrast, Dam D has the lowest storage capacity among the five, with
a capacity of only 2,775,218.88 m3 and a height of 7.86 m (Table 8).
N.L. Rane et al.
Fig. 8. Cross section and surface area of proposed dam site-C.
With a width of 270.63 m, Dam D is the narrowest among the five dams,
making it the most economically efficient. Moreover, by being situated
on the upstream side of the basin, dams A, B, and C can greatly minimize
the impact of riverine floods and store the maximum amount of water
during the monsoon season.
3.3. Evaluation of TOPSIS
The TOPSIS model considered input from 12 thematic raster layers
that were used to identify suitable dam sites. These layers included
Curve Number (CN), slope, drainage density, geology, proximity to
roads, rainfall, geomorphology, LULC, soil type, distance from fault line,
elevation, and distance to river. The RC+
i of the NIS and PIS of individual
parameter were analysed separately, and their corresponding ranks
were determined accordingly (Table 8). The RC+ i values closest to one
were given the highest rank. The dams site suitability was ranked from 1
to 5, with alternative 1 receiving the highest rank of 1st place and
alternative 5 receiving the lowest rank of 5th place. The highest and
lowest values of dam site suitability mapping were evaluated to be
0.5761 and 0.2695, respectively. The TOPSIS model, in terms of MCDM,
determined that Dam E was the high suitable option, following, Dam C,
A, B, and D (Table 8). The construction of a dam in the study area would
enable the utilization of water for drinking and irrigation purposes
through a water drainage network. During droughts, this could offer
supplementary irrigation.
13
Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890
3.4. Sensitivity analysis
To conduct the sensitivity analysis, each of the 12 criteria was
removed one by one, and the normalized weights of the remaining
criteria and their features were integrated to calculate the DSSI. The
sensitivity of the final DSSI when a parameter layer is removed is pre­
sented in Table 9. Table 9 shows that the elevation has the highest
variation index (325.51) in the sensitivity analysis. Similarly, the dis­
tance from the fault line also has a significant impact on the DSSI
assessment, with a variation index of 317.96 (Table 9). Removing the
Drainage Density also affects the variability of the DSSI assessment, as
evidenced by the variation index of 311.98. The varying index values
implying that elevation, are the most sensitive parameters, followed by
distance from fault line and drainage density. Curve number (variation
index of 268.94), soil type (variation index of 295.28) and geo­
morphology (variation index of 296.69) was the least influential to
delineate dam site selection in study area. Sensitivity analysis shows the
important of each factor for delineating dam site suitability.
3.5. Suitability map validation
Researchers worldwide are utilizing diverse models to locate
appropriate dam sites. Nonetheless, it is crucial to thoroughly verify the
models’ results against recorded observations or real-world conditions.
In evaluating a dam site’s suitability, it is advantageous to confirm the
model’s output by examining present dams in basin (Al-Ruzouq et al.,
N.L. Rane et al.
Fig. 9. Cross section and surface area of proposed dam site-D.
2019; Hagos et al., 2022). Consequently, in present research of delin­
eating suitable dam sites, the model’s outcomes were evaluated using
ROC AUC with respect to present established dam, constructed with a
meticulous plan. The findings indicated an AUC value of 0.806,
demonstrating the model’s commendable performance and a significant
association between the suitability mapping and the past data (Fig. 11).
Subsequently, it was determined that the model is suitable for recog­
nizing potential dam sites at the study region level.
3.6. Discussions
Although the selection of a dam site is a crucial strategic decision, the
literature indicates that the spatial analysis process for site selection of
dams has remained limited and inadequate. Typically, dam sites are
influenced by political considerations or selected using conventional
decision-making approaches (Jozaghi et al., 2018; Othman et al., 2020).
In conventional decision-making approaches, availability of resource
and cost are the primary parameters, which may result in the selection of
a site close to water resource without comprehensive investigation. To
address this issue, a study utilizing GIS, MIF and TOPSIS models is
proposed in this research to delineate the suitable sites for dam in the
Ulhas River basin. In recent decades, the spatial analysis using RS and
GIS technology are popular in hydrogeology. The use of GIS in the site
14
Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890
selection process for dams is essential for integrating and analysing
complex data from various sources. The technology provides powerful
visualization, analysis, and decision-making tools that enable stake­
holders to make informed decisions that consider technical feasibility,
environmental impact, social acceptability, and economic viability.
Utilizing the capability of GIS technology with MCDM for preparing a
comprehensive hydrologic impact analysis of suitable dam sites is
crucial in analysing watersheds. GIS facilitates compiling data in a
shorter period, overcoming traditional problems such as difficult access
and subjectivity, which hinder map features with greater precision.
Moreover, determining the dam site suitability contributes to enhancing
hydrologic parameters, such as evaporation, runoff, rainfall, water
supply, irrigation, power requirements, and surface and groundwater
storage for controlling flood.
Consequently, the model proposed for selecting a dam site comprises
fundamental steps: (1) Define project goals and objectives; (2) Collect
relevant data; (3) Process and analyze data using GIS; (4) Identify po­
tential dam sites based on spatial analysis; (5) Engage with stakeholders
to gather feedback and identify any conflicts or concerns; (6) Make a
final decision based on a balance of technical feasibility, environmental
impact, social acceptability, and economic viability; (7) Implement the
project, including the design, construction, and operation of the dam;
(8) Monitor and evaluate the performance of the project to identify any
N.L. Rane et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890

Fig. 10. Cross section and surface area of proposed dam site-E.

Table 8
Ranking of alternative for potential dam construction site using relative closeness (RC+
− ).

Proposed Elevation Height Width (m) Surface area (sq. Maximum storage capacity Stream Surface elevation RC+
−
Rank
Dam (m) (m) m) (m3) order (m)

A 47.72 27.35 1112.36 16283248.87 168,114,390.84 3rd 75.07 0.3854 3

B 52.36 17.68 455.63 1576696.30 8,200,772.95 3rd 70.04 0.3837 4
C 42.53 26.38 425.35 3567818.91 39,217,164.45 3rd 68.91 0.5487 2
D 67.13 7.86 270.63 915100.92 2,775,218.88 2nd 74.99 0.2695 5
E 30.06 38.36 548.63 82269283.20 1,020,501,217.97 4th 68.42 0.5761 1

potential issues that need to be addressed. The current study outlines the
diverse parameters implicated in selecting a dam site with significance
level. Additionally, the MIF’s contribution as a MCDM enables to
determine the optimal weights of each criterion employed in present
research. This is consistent with the literature of the other field wherein
researchers have indicated that MIF is an efficient technique because of
interrelationship consideration (Anbarasu et al., 2020; Ahmed et al.,
2021; Mallick et al., 2022). The nature of the MIF approach and it’s
dealing with uncertainty using interrelationship made this approach
more logical. All parameters were prioritized based on the interrela­
tionship between criteria. The integration of GIS technology with MIF
technique allows for the analysis of complex data from multiple sources,
providing a comprehensive view of potential dam sites. Nevertheless,
the findings indicate that elevation, distance from fault line, and
drainage density have the greatest impact on dam site suitability map­
ping, while curve number, soil type, and geomorphology are the pa­
rameters with the least influence. The studies in the literature were also
claimed that elevation, distance from fault line and drainage density are
the dominant factor for dam site selection (Al-Ruzouq et al., 2019; Aji­
bade et al., 2020; Band et al., 2022). It is important not to overlook
various factors that may impact site suitability performance, including
site availability and economic performance. To save resources and time,
and to increase efficiency in dam site evaluation, the proposed frame­
work can be applied in conjunction with conventional methods to
identify potential dam sites suitability.

15
N.L. Rane et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890

Table 9 morphology were the least influencing factors. Furthermore, the

Variation index of sensitivity analysis. geometric properties of dams at the suitable location were determined.
Thematic layer Variation Index Ranking Amongst the five dams, Dam E has the highest water storage capacity. At
a height of 38.36m, Dam E can hold 1,020,501,217.97 m3 of water,
Standard Mean Min Max
deviation while Dam D can only store 2,775,218.88 m3 of water at a height of
7.86m, making it the shortest of the five dams and more cost-effective
Curve Number (CN) 77.81 268.94 0.00 440.54 12
Geomorphology 94.19 296.69 0.00 481.08 10 than the others. Based on the RC+ i of MCDM to the ideal solution,
Drainage Density 90.89 311.98 0.00 481.08 3 Dam E was ranked first. The study’s outcome offers a framework for
Geology 95.99 311.49 0.00 508.11 5 researchers and engineers interested in locating the most appropriate
Proximity to roads 94.21 306.72 0.00 494.60 7 site for a new dam construction within the study region. This method
Rainfall 92.24 304.71 0.00 481.08 8
Slope 97.44 311.96 0.00 513.51 4
can complement traditional techniques and assist in determining new
LULC 93.43 303.27 2.70 483.79 9 dam sites. As the analysis in this study is not area-specific, it can prove
Soil type 92.35 295.28 0.00 491.89 11 advantageous in various parts of the world, particularly in developing
Distance from fault 98.37 317.96 0.00 508.11 2 countries, regardless of differences in hydrology and agro-climate.
line
Furthermore, this approach is efficient, precise, and can identify po­
Elevation 99.24 325.51 5.41 524.33 1
Distance to river 90.70 307.53 0.00 481.08 6 tential locations for various large watersheds in a shorter time frame.

Funding

This study is supported by Vivekanand Education Society’s College

of Architecture (VESCOA), Chembur, Mumbai, India.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Nitin Liladhar Rane: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal

analysis, Writing – original draft. Anand Achari: Conceptualization,
Writing – review & editing, review and editing, Supervision. Saurabh
Purushottam Choudhary: Formal analysis, Data curation. Suraj
Kumar Mallick: Background study, Writing – review & editing. Chai­
tanya B. Pande: Formal analysis, Data curation, Writing – review &
editing. Aman Srivastava: Writing – review & editing. Kanak N.
Moharir: Writing – review & editing.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial

interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.

Data availability

Data will be made available on request.

Fig. 11. ROC curve for delineated potential sites for dam construction.
4. Conclusions
The identification of suitable locations for building dams is a crucial
strategic undertaking for water conservation in the world, especially
those situated in arid and semi-arid areas. This research contributes to
the literature by proposing an integrated methodology which integrate
GIS, MIF, and TOPSIS techniques for determining appropriate areas for
dam construction. Twelve climatic and geophysical thematic layers were
considered to prepare the site suitability of dam, including Curve
Number (CN), soil type, rainfall, geology, geomorphology, fault line,
river, roads, slope, drainage density, elevation and LULC. A semi-
automatic method was developed in the study for identifying narrow
valleys by evaluating contour and catchment area with suitability index
and stream. The identified dam sites were found to be feasible and
economically viable for constructing dams. The performance of the
delineated potential dam site was indicated by an AUC value of 0.806,
which suggests that the model performed well. The study determined
that about 43.26% of basin was highly suitable for selecting dam sites.
Sensitivity analysis shows the elevation, distance from fault line and
drainage density are the most influencing factors for the dam site se­
lection in study area. By contrast, curve number, soil type and geo­
References
Abijith, D., Saravanan, S., Singh, L., Jennifer, J.J., Saranya, T., Parthasarathy, K.S.S.,
2020. GIS-based multi-criteria analysis for identification of potential groundwater
recharge zones-a case study from Ponnaniyaru watershed, Tamil Nadu, India.
HydroResearch 3, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydres.2020.02.002.
Abtew, W., Dessu, S.B., Abtew, W., Dessu, S.B., 2019. Grand Ethiopian renaissance dam
site importance. The grand Ethiopian renaissance dam on the blue nile 63–77.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97094-3_5.
Abushandi, E., Alatawi, S., 2015. Dam site selection using remote sensing techniques and
geographical information system to control flood events in Tabuk City. Hydrol. Curr.
Res. 6 (1–1000189), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.4172/2157-7587.1000189.
AghaKouchak, A., Mirchi, A., Madani, K., Di Baldassarre, G., Nazemi, A., Alborzi, A.,
Wanders, N., 2021. Anthropogenic Drought: Definition, Challenges, and
Opportunities. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019RG000683.
Ahmed, A., Alrajhi, A., Alquwaizany, A.S., 2021. Identification of groundwater potential
recharge zones in flinders ranges, South Australia using remote sensing, GIS, and
MIF techniques. Water 13 (18), 2571. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13182571.
Ajayi, O.G., Palmer, M., Salubi, A.A., 2018. Modelling farmland topography for suitable
site selection of dam construction using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
photogrammetry. Remote Sens. Appl.: Society and Environment 11, 220–230.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2018.07.007.
Ajibade, T.F., Nwogwu, N.A., Ajibade, F.O., Adelodun, B., Idowu, T.E., Ojo, A.O.,
Akinmusere, O.K., 2020. Potential dam sites selection using integrated techniques of
remote sensing and GIS in Imo State, Southeastern, Nigeria. Sustainable Water
Resources Management 6, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-020-00416-5.
Albert, C., Hack, J., Schmidt, S., Schröter, B., 2021. Planning and governing nature-based
solutions in river landscapes: concepts, cases, and insights. Ambio 50 (8),
1405–1413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01569-z.

16
N.L. Rane et al.
Albert, C., Schröter, B., Haase, D., Brillinger, M., Henze, J., Herrmann, S., Matzdorf, B.,
2019. Addressing societal challenges through nature-based solutions: how can
landscape planning and governance research contribute? Landsc. Urban Plann. 182,
12–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2018.10.003.
Allam, S., Galletta, A., Carnevale, L., Bekri, M.A., El Ouahbi, R., Villari, M., 2018. A cloud
computing workflow for managing oceanographic data. In: Advances in Service-
Oriented and Cloud Computing: Workshops of ESOCC 2017, Oslo, Norway,
September 27-29, 2017, Revised Selected Papers, vol. 6. Springer International
Publishing, pp. 73–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-79090-9_5.
Al-Ruzouq, R., Shanableh, A., Yilmaz, A.G., Idris, A., Mukherjee, S., Khalil, M.A.,
Gibril, M.B.A., 2019. Dam site suitability mapping and analysis using an integrated
GIS and machine learning approach. Water 11 (9), 1880. https://doi.org/10.3390/
w11091880.
Aliani, H., Ghanbari Motlagh, M., Danesh, G., Aliani, H., 2021. Land suitability analysis
for urban development using TOPSIS, WLC and ANP techniques (Eastern cities of
Gilan-Iran). Arabian J. Geosci. 14, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-
07606-1.
Anbarasu, S., Brindha, K., Elango, L., 2020. Multi-influencing factor method for
delineation of groundwater potential zones using remote sensing and GIS techniques
in the western part of Perambalur district, southern India. Earth Science Informatics
13, 317–332. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12145-019-00426-8.
Anand, N., 2017. Hydraulic City: Water and the Infrastructures of Citizenship in Mumbai.
Duke University Press.
Baban, S.M., Wan-Yusof, K., 2003. Modelling optimum sites for locating reservoirs in
tropical environments. Water Resour. Manag. 17, 1–17.
Band, S.S., Chandra Pal, S., Bateni, S.M., Jun, C., Saha, A., Chowdhuri, I., Janizadeh, S.,
2022. Using computational-intelligence algorithms and remote sensing data to
optimize the locations of check dams to control sediment and runoff in Kandolus
watershed, Mazandaran, Iran. Geocarto Int. 1–23.
Banerjee, R.R., 2015. Farmers’ perception of climate change, impact and adaptation
strategies: a case study of four villages in the semi-arid regions of India. Nat. Hazards
75, 2829–2845. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1466-z.
Behzadian, M., Otaghsara, S.K., Yazdani, M., Ignatius, J., 2012. A state-of the-art survey
of TOPSIS applications. Expert Syst. Appl. 39 (17), 13051–13069. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.eswa.2012.05.056.
Biswas, A.K., 2008. Integrated water resources management: is it working? Int. J. Water
Resour. Dev. 24 (1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/07900620701871718.
Chen, J., Yang, S., Li, H., Zhang, B., Lv, J., 2013. Research on geographical environment
unit division based on the method of natural breaks (Jenks). Int. Arch. Photogram.
Rem. Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci. 3, 47–50.
Chezgi, J., Pourghasemi, H.R., Naghibi, S.A., Moradi, H.R., Kheirkhah Zarkesh, M., 2016.
Assessment of a spatial multi-criteria evaluation to site selection underground dams
in the Alborz Province, Iran. Geocarto Int. 31 (6), 628–646. https://doi.org/
10.1080/10106049.2015.1073366.
Chu, T.C., 2002. Selecting plant location via a fuzzy TOPSIS approach. Int. J. Adv. Des.
Manuf. Technol. 20, 859–864.
Connor, R., 2015. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2015. In: Water
for a Sustainable World, vol. 1. UNESCO publishing.
Das, S., 2019. Geospatial mapping of flood susceptibility and hydro-geomorphic response
to the floods in Ulhas basin, India. Remote Sens. Appl.: Society and Environment 14,
60–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2019.02.006.
Dey, N.C., Saha, R., Parvez, M., Bala, S.K., Islam, A.S., Paul, J.K., Hossain, M., 2017.
Sustainability of groundwater use for irrigation of dry-season crops in northwest
Bangladesh. Groundwater for Sustainable Development 4, 66–77. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.gsd.2017.02.001.
Dhandre, N.M., Kamalasekaran, P.D., Pandey, P., 2016. Dam parameters monitoring
system. In: 2016 7th India International Conference on Power Electronics (IICPE).
IEEE, pp. 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/IICPE.2016.8079375.
Doke, A.B., Zolekar, R.B., Patel, H., Das, S., 2021. Geospatial mapping of groundwater
potential zones using multi-criteria decision-making AHP approach in a hardrock
basaltic terrain in India. Ecol. Indicat. 127, 107685 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
ecolind.2021.107685.
dos Anjos Luís, A., Cabral, P., 2021. Small dams/reservoirs site location analysis in a
semi-arid region of Mozambique. International Soil and Water Conservation
Research 9 (3), 381–393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2021.02.002.
Etikala, B., Golla, V., Li, P., Renati, S., 2019. Deciphering groundwater potential zones
using MIF technique and GIS: a study from Tirupati area, Chittoor District, Andhra
Pradesh, India. HydroResearch 1, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
hydres.2019.04.001.
Esfahani, K.M., Ghazifard, A., Hashemi, M., 2018. Dam axis selection on soft rocks based
on geomechanical characteristics and analytical hierarchy process: a case study of
Abnahr Dam, Iran. Geotech. Geol. Eng. 36 (4), 2021–2035. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s10706-017-0443-1.
Ettazarini, S., 2021. GIS-based land suitability assessment for check dam site location,
using topography and drainage information: a case study from Morocco. Environ.
Earth Sci. 80 (17), 567. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-021-09881-3.
Fan, J., Upadhye, S., Worster, A., 2006. Understanding receiver operating characteristic
(ROC) curves. Can. J. Emerg. Med. 8 (1), 19–20. https://doi.org/10.1017/
S1481803500013336.
FAO, 2003. Land and water digital media series, 26. Training course on RWH (CD-ROM).
Planning of water harvesting schemes. Unit 22 food and agriculture organization
Rome. Italy.
Farhat, B., Souissi, D., Mahfoudhi, R., Chrigui, R., Sebei, A., Ben Mammou, A., 2023. GIS-
based multi-criteria decision-making techniques and analytical hierarchical process
for delineation of groundwater potential. Environ. Monit. Assess. 195 (2), 285.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10845-8.
17
Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890
Fernández García, I., Lecina, S., Ruiz-Sánchez, M.C., Vera, J., Conejero, W., Conesa, M.R.,
Montesinos, P., 2020. Trends and challenges in irrigation scheduling in the semi-arid
area of Spain. Water 12 (3), 785. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12030785.
Forzieri, G., Gardenti, M., Caparrini, F., Castelli, F., 2008. A methodology for the pre-
selection of suitable sites for surface and underground small dams in arid areas: a
case study in the region of Kidal, Mali. Phys. Chem. Earth, Parts A/B/C 33 (1–2),
74–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2007.04.014.
Galletta, A., Ruggeri, A., Fazio, M., Dini, G., Villari, M., 2020. Mesmart-pro: advanced
processing at the edge for smart urban monitoring and reconfigurable services.
J. Sens. Actuator Netw. 9 (4), 55. https://doi.org/10.3390/jsan9040055.
Galletta, A., Taheri, J., Celesti, A., Fazio, M., Villari, M., 2023. Investigating the
applicability of nested secret share for drone fleet photo storage. IEEE Trans. Mobile
Comput. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMC.2023.3263115.
Gandy, M., 2008. Landscapes of disaster: water, modernity, and urban fragmentation in
Mumbai. Environ. Plann. 40 (1), 108–130. https://doi.org/10.1068/a3994.
Ghazal, N.K., Salman, S.R., 2015. Determining the optimum site of small dams using
remote sensing techniques and GIS. Int. J. Sci. Eng. Res. 3 (9), 4–8.
Hagos, Y.G., Andualem, T.G., Mengie, M.A., Ayele, W.T., Malede, D.A., 2022. Suitable
dam site identification using GIS-based MCDA: a case study of Chemoga watershed,
Ethiopia. Appl. Water Sci. 12 (4), 69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-022-01592-9.
Hansen, W.F., 2001. Identifying stream types and management implications. For. Ecol.
Manag. 143 (1–3), 39–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(00)00503-X.
Huang, J., Ling, C.X., 2005. Using AUC and accuracy in evaluating learning algorithms.
IEEE Trans. Knowl. Data Eng. 17 (3), 299–310.
Hwang, C.L., Yoon, K.P., 1981. TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to
Ideal Solution)–A Multiple Attribute Decision Making: Multiple Attribute Decision
Making–Methods and Applications, a State-Of-The-At Survey. Methods and
Application. Springer Publications, New York. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
Jozaghi, A., Alizadeh, B., Hatami, M., Flood, I., Khorrami, M., Khodaei, N., Ghasemi
Tousi, E., 2018. A comparative study of the AHP and TOPSIS techniques for dam site
selection using GIS: a case study of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran.
Geosciences 8 (12), 494. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences8120494.
Kalantari, Z., Ferreira, C.S.S., Pan, H., Pereira, P., 2023. Nature-based solutions to global
environmental challenges. Sci. Total Environ. 880, 163227 https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163227.
Kandekar, V.U., Pande, C.B., Rajesh, J., Atre, A.A., Gorantiwar, S.D., Kadam, S.A., Gavit,
B., 2021. Surface water dynamics analysis based on sentinel imagery and Google
Earth Engine Platform: a case study of Jayakwadi dam. Sustain. Water Resour.
Manag. 7, 44 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-021-00527-7.
Karakuş, C.B., Yıldız, S., 2022. Gis-multi criteria decision analysis-based land suitability
assessment for dam site selection. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 19 (12),
12561–12580. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04323-4.
Kothari, S., 1996. Whose nation? The displaced as victims of development. Econ. Polit.
Wkly. 1476–1485.
Kumar, M.G., Agarwal, A.K., Bali, R., 2008. Delineation of potential sites for water
harvesting structures using remote sensing and GIS. Journal of the Indian Society of
Remote Sensing 36, 323–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-008-0033-z.
Kumar, S., Machiwal, D., Parmar, B.S., 2019. A parsimonious approach to delineating
groundwater potential zones using geospatial modeling and multicriteria decision
analysis techniques under limited data availability condition. Engineering Reports 1
(5), e12073. https://doi.org/10.1002/eng2.12073.
Lo, M.H., Famiglietti, J.S., Reager, J.T., Rodell, M., Swenson, S., Wu, W.Y., 2016. Grace-
based estimates of global groundwater depletion. Terrestrial Water Cycle and
Climate Change: Natural and Human-Induced Impacts 135–146. https://doi.org/
10.1002/9781118971772.ch7.
Magesh, N.S., Chandrasekar, N., Soundranayagam, J.P., 2012. Delineation of
groundwater potential zones in Theni district, Tamil Nadu, using remote sensing, GIS
and MIF techniques. Geosci. Front. 3 (2), 189–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
gsf.2011.10.007.
Mallick, S.K., Rudra, S., Maity, B., 2022. Land suitability assessment for urban built-up
development of a city in the Eastern Himalayan foothills: a study towards urban
sustainability. Environ. Dev. Sustain. 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-
02857-8.
Mandal, P., Saha, J., Bhattacharya, S., Paul, S., 2021a. Delineation of groundwater
potential zones using the integration of geospatial and MIF techniques: a case study
on Rarh region of West Bengal, India. Environmental Challenges 5, 100396. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2021.100396.
Mandal, P., Mandal, S., Halder, S., Paul, S., 2021b. Assessing and mapping cropland
suitability applying geospatial and MIF techniques in the semiarid region with an
integrated approach. Arabian J. Geosci. 14 (18), 1948. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s12517-021-08171-3.
Minatour, Y., Khazaie, J., Ataei, M., Javadi, A.A., 2015. An integrated decision support
system for dam site selection. Scientia Iranica. Transaction A, Civil Engineering 22
(2), 319.
Moharir, K.N., Pande, C.B., Gautam, V.K., Singh, S.K., Rane, N.L., 2023. Integration of
hydrogeological data, GIS and AHP techniques applied to delineate groundwater
potential zones in sandstone, limestone and shales rocks of the Damoh district,(MP)
central India. Environ. Res. 228, 115832 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
envres.2023.115832.
Muschelli III, J., 2020. ROC and AUC with a binary predictor: a potentially misleading
metric. J. Classif. 37 (3), 696–708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00357-019-09345-1.
Mura, J.C., Gama, F.F., Paradella, W.R., Negrão, P., Carneiro, S., De Oliveira, C.G.,
Brandão, W.S., 2018. Monitoring the vulnerability of the dam and dikes in Germano
iron mining area after the collapse of the tailings dam of Fundão (Mariana-MG,
Brazil) using DInSAR techniques with TerraSAR-X data. Rem. Sens. 10 (10), 1507.
https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10101507.
N.L. Rane et al.
Nair, A.S., Indu, J., 2021. Assessment of groundwater sustainability and identifying
factors inducing groundwater depletion in India. Geophys. Res. Lett. 48 (3),
e2020GL087255 https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL087255.
Napolitano, P., Fabbri, A.G., 1996. Single-parameter sensitivity analysis for aquifer
vulnerability assessment using DRASTIC and SINTACS. IAHS Publications-Series of
Proceedings and Reports-Intern Assoc Hydrological Sciences 235 (235), 559–566.
Nasir, M.J., Khan, S., Zahid, H., Khan, A., 2018. Delineation of groundwater potential
zones using GIS and multi influence factor (MIF) techniques: a study of district Swat,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Environ. Earth Sci. 77, 1–11. https://doi.org/
10.1007/s12665-018-7522-3.
Njiru, F.M., Siriba, D.N., 2018. Site Selection for an earth dam in mbeere north, Embu
County—Kenya. J. Geosci. Environ. Protect. 6 (7), 113–133. https://doi.org/
10.4236/gep.2018.67009.
Noori, A.M., Pradhan, B., Ajaj, Q.M., 2019. Dam site suitability assessment at the Greater
Zab River in northern Iraq using remote sensing data and GIS. J. Hydrol. 574,
964–979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.05.001.
Odiji, C., Adepoju, M., Ibrahim, I., Adedeji, O., Nnaemeka, I., Aderoju, O., 2021. Small
hydropower dam site suitability modelling in upper Benue river watershed, Nigeria.
Appl. Water Sci. 11, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-021-01466-6.
Othman, A.A., Al-Maamar, A.F., Al-Manmi, D.A.M.A., Liesenberg, V., Hasan, S.E.,
Obaid, A.K., Al-Quraishi, A.M.F., 2020. GIS-based modeling for selection of dam sites
in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq. ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 9 (4), 244. https://doi.org/
10.3390/ijgi9040244.
Page, J., Mörtberg, U., Destouni, G., Ferreira, C., Näsström, H., Kalantari, Z., 2020. Open-
source planning support system for sustainable regional planning: a case study of
Stockholm County, Sweden. Environ. Plan. B Urban Anal. City Sci. 47 (8),
1508–1523. https://doi.org/10.1177/2399808320919769.
Pan, H., Page, J., Cong, C., Barthel, S., Kalantari, Z., 2021. How ecosystems services drive
urban growth: integrating nature-based solutions. Anthropocene 35, 100297.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2021.100297.
Pande, C.B., 2020. Sustainable Watershed Development Planning. In: Sustainable
Watershed Development. SpringerBriefs in Water Science and Technology. Springer,
Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47244-3_4.
Pande, C, Moharir, K., 2014. Analysis of land use/land cover changes using remote
sensing data and GIS techniques of Patur Taluka, Maharashtra, India. Int J Pure Appl
Res Eng Technol 2 (12), 85–92.
Pande, C.B., Moharir, K.N., Panneerselvam, B., Singh, S.K., Elbeltagi, A., Pham, Q.B.,
Rajesh, J., 2021. Delineation of groundwater potential zones for sustainable
development and planning using analytical hierarchy process (AHP), and MIF
techniques. Appl. Water Sci. 11 (12), 186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-021-
01522-1.
Pande, C.B., Moharir, K.N., Singh, S.K., Elbeltagi, A., Pham, Q.B., Panneerselvam, B.,
Varade, A.M., Kouadri, S., 2022. Groundwater flow modeling in the basaltic hard
rock area of Maharashtra, India. Appl. Water Sci. 12, 12, 01525-y. https://doi.org/1
0.1007/s13201-021-.
Pande, C.B., Moharir, K.N., Varade, A.M., Abdo, H.G., Mulla, S., Yaseen, Z.M., 2023.
Intertwined impacts of urbanization and land cover change on urban climate and
agriculture in Aurangabad city (MS), India using google earth engine platform. J.
Clean. Prod. 422,138541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138541.
Pathan, A.I., Agnihotri, P.G., Patel, D., 2022. Integrated approach of AHP and TOPSIS
(MCDM) techniques with GIS for dam site suitability mapping: a case study of
Navsari City, Gujarat, India. Environ. Earth Sci. 81 (18), 443. https://doi.org/
10.1007/s12665-022-10568-6.
Priyan, K., 2021. Issues and challenges of groundwater and surface water management in
semi-arid regions. Groundwater Resources Development and Planning in the Semi-
Arid Region 1–17.
Raaj, S., Pathan, A.I., Mohseni, U., Agnihotri, P.G., Patidar, N., Islam, M.N., salihi, M.,
2022. Dam site suitability analysis using geo-spatial technique and AHP: a case of
flood mitigation measures at Lower Tapi Basin. Modeling Earth Systems and
Environment 8 (4), 5207–5223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-022-01441-3.
Rahman, N., Awangku, A., Tai, V., Mohammad, M., Haron, S., Khalid, K., Shariff, S.,
2021. Site selection of water reservoir based on weighted overlay in arcgis (case
study: bachok Kelantan). Sci. Int. 33, 135–139.
Rahmati, O., Kornejady, A., Samadi, M., Deo, R.C., Conoscenti, C., Lombardo, L., Bui, D.
T., 2019. PMT: new analytical framework for automated evaluation of geo-
environmental modelling approaches. Sci. Total Environ. 664, 296–311. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.017.
Rakhecha, P.R., Deshpande, N.R., Kulkarni, A.K., Mandal, B.N., Sangam, R.B., 1995.
Design storm studies for the Upper Krishna river catchment upstream of the Almatti
dam site. Theor. Appl. Climatol. 52, 219–229. https://doi.org/10.1007/
BF00864045.
Ramya, S., Devadas, V., 2019. Integration of GIS, AHP and TOPSIS in evaluating suitable
locations for industrial development: a case of Tehri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand,
India. J. Clean. Prod. 238, 117872 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117872.
Rane, N.L., Jayaraj, G.K., 2022. Comparison of multi-influence factor, weight of evidence
and frequency ratio techniques to evaluate groundwater potential zones of basaltic
aquifer systems. Environ. Dev. Sustain. 24 (2), 2315–2344. https://doi.org/
10.1007/s10668-021-01535-5.
18
Journal of Cleaner Production 423 (2023) 138890
Rane, N.L., Achari, A., Saha, A., Poddar, I., Rane, J., Pande, C.B., Roy, R., 2023. An
Integrated GIS, MIF, and TOPSIS Approach for Appraising Electric Vehicle Charging
Station Suitability Zones in Mumbai, India. Sustainable Cities and Society, 104717.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2023.104717.
Robinson, J., 2006. DCR Dam Safety Technical Advisory Table 1 Briefing, Department of
Conservation and Recreation. Coserving virginia’s natural and recreational
resources, USA.
Rode, S., 2014. Drinking water supply management through innovative methods and
finance in municipal councils of Mumbai metropolitan region. Economia. Seria
Management 17 (1), 100–113.
Roy, S., Singha, N., Bose, A., Basak, D., Chowdhury, I.R., 2022. Multi-influencing Factor
(MIF) and RS–GIS-Based Determination of Agriculture Site Suitability for Achieving
Sustainable Development of Sub-himalayan Region. Environment, Development and
Sustainability, India, pp. 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02360-0.
Safavian, A., Amani, M., 2015. Analysis of land suitability for small earth dams using
multi criteria evaluation (MCE) in the geographic information system (GIS). Int. Lett.
Nat. Sci. 42 https://doi.org/10.56431/p-1qyyfl.
Saidi, S., Bouri, S., Ben Dhia, H., 2011. Sensitivity analysis in groundwater vulnerability
assessment based on GIS in the Mahdia-Ksour Essaf aquifer, Tunisia: a validation
study. Hydrological Sciences Journal–Journal des Sciences Hydrologiques 56 (2),
288–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2011.552886.
Senapati, U., Das, T.K., 2020. Assessment of potential land degradation in Akarsa
Watershed, West Bengal, using GIS and multi-influencing factor technique. Gully
Erosion Studies from India and Surrounding Regions 187–205.
Selvam, S., Magesh, N.S., Sivasubramanian, P., Soundranayagam, J.P., Manimaran, G.,
Seshunarayana, T., 2014. Deciphering of groundwater potential zones in Tuticorin,
Tamil Nadu, using remote sensing and GIS techniques. J. Geol. Soc. India 84,
597–608. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-014-0167-2.
Shao, Z., Jahangir, Z., Muhammad Yasir, Q., Mahmood, S., 2020. Identification of
potential sites for a multi-purpose dam using a dam suitability stream model. Water
12 (11), 3249. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12113249.
Singh, L., Saravanan, S., Jennifer, J.J., Abijith, D., 2021. Application of multi-influence
factor (MIF) technique for the identification of suitable sites for urban settlement in
Tiruchirappalli City, Tamil Nadu, India. Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science 5
(3), 797–823. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41685-021-00194-8.
Sutradhar, S., Mondal, P., Das, N., 2021. Delineation of groundwater potential zones
using MIF and AHP models: a micro-level study on Suri Sadar Sub-Division, Birbhum
District, West Bengal, India. Groundwater for Sustainable Development 12, 100547.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2021.100547.
Tiwale, S., 2021. Number narratives of water shortages: delinking water resources
development from water distribution in Mumbai, India. Water Altern. (WaA) 14,
841–865.
Trindade, T.C., MacLean, H.L., Posen, I.D., 2021. Slum infrastructure: quantitative
measures and scenarios for universal access to basic services in 2030. Cities 110,
103050. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2020.103050.
Tsiko, R.G., Haile, T.S., 2011. Integrating geographical information systems, fuzzy logic
and analytical hierarchy process in modelling optimum sites for locating water
reservoirs. A case study of the Debub District in Eritrea. Water 3 (1), 254–290.
https://doi.org/10.3390/w3010254.
van der Zaag, P., Gupta, J., 2008. Scale issues in the governance of water storage
projects. Water Resour. Res. 44 (10) https://doi.org/10.1029/2007WR006364.
Vaidya, R.A., 2015. Governance and management of local water storage in the Hindu
Kush Himalayas. Int. J. Water Resour. Dev. 31 (2), 253–268. https://doi.org/
10.1080/07900627.2015.1020998.
World Commission on Dams, 2000. Dams and development: a new framework for
decision-making: the report of the world commission on dams. Down Earth.
Yadav, B., Malav, L.C., Jangir, A., Kharia, S.K., Singh, S.V., Yeasin, M., Yadav, K.K., 2023.
Application of analytical hierarchical process, multi-influencing factor, and
geospatial techniques for groundwater potential zonation in a semi-arid region of
western India. J. Contam. Hydrol. 253, 104122 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
jconhyd.2022.104122.
Yang, X., Zhang, M., He, X., Ren, L., Pan, M., Yu, X., Sheffield, J., 2020. Contrasting
influences of human activities on hydrological drought regimes over China based on
high-resolution simulations. Water Resour. Res. 56 (6), e2019WR025843 https://
doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025843.
Yasser, M., Jahangir, K., Mohmmad, A., 2013. Earth dam site selection using the analytic
hierarchy process (AHP): a case study in the west of Iran. Arabian J. Geosci. 6,
3417–3426. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0602-x.
Ye, F., Li, Y., 2014. An extended TOPSIS model based on the possibility theory under
fuzzy environment. Knowl. Base Syst. 67, 263–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
knosys.2014.04.046.
Yue, Z., 2011. An extended TOPSIS for determining weights of decision makers with
interval numbers. Knowl. Base Syst. 24 (1), 146–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
knosys.2010.07.014.
Zhang, D., Sial, M.S., Ahmad, N., Filipe, A.J., Thu, P.A., Zia-Ud-Din, M., Caleiro, A.B.,
2020. Water scarcity and sustainability in an emerging economy: a management
perspective for future. Sustainability 13 (1), 144. https://doi.org/10.3390/
su13010144.