Identification of sites with potential for rainwater harvesting in the Upper Mixteco River Basin, Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

Rainwater Harvesting Systems (RWH) is an alternative to solve water supply problems in the Upper Mixteco River Basin (UMRB). However, the successful use of RHW depends mainly on its technical design and selection of a suitable site for its construction. The objective of this paper was to identify appropriate sites for the construction of RWH in the UMRB through hydrological modeling with QSWAT+ (QGIS Interface for Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and analysis of geographic information. It was determined that the sites with potential for the construction of RWH cover 7 % of the studied sub-basin surface. In these, check dams and percolation tanks can be built for macro-collection and storage of rainwater. In addition, gully plugs, terraces, contour barriers and trenches, to reduce the surface runoff velocity and soil erosion. In this way, the water availability in the basin for various uses will increase, and soil and water conservation will be favored.