Estimation of the environment component of the Water Poverty Index via remote sensing in semi-arid zones

Abstract

"Groundwater has become an alternative water supply for various sectors of the population and the economy, and its extraction is increasing worldwide. The water poverty index (WPI) is a holistic tool that enables the establishment of links between poverty, social marginalization, environmental integrity, water availability and health. The index includes five components – water resources, access, capacity, environment and use – which are evaluated on a scale of 0 to 100. The objective of this research is to calculate the WPI by applying remote perception techniques to the environment component. Through multi-temporal analysis, we estimate the variability of soil cover in a semi-arid area of San Luis Potosí in Mexico, where the available surface water and groundwater is mainly for agriculture. The overall result for the studied area was a WPI of 56, which reflects contradictions in the management of the resource that is abundant."