Analysis of the impact of land use change on groundwater level drop) Case study: Mahidasht, Kermanshah province)

The shortage of surface water resources has led to harvesting groundwater in many parts of the world and a sharp drop in groundwater aquifers. With an ever-increasing population, more and more harvesting has come from these resources, and these natural resources are facing a serious threat. On the other hand, land use changes affect groundwater resources and affect the quantity and quality of groundwater. The Mahidasht Plain is located in Kermanshah Province, which has been affected in recent decades due to the growing population of land use, has affected the process of exploitation of water resources, and has made important contributions to the groundwater resources. In the present study, by using the images of the Landsat and Sentinel 2, land use maps for the study area were identified in the four years of 1987, 2000, 2009, and 2017, and land use changes were also identified in 30 years. Then, according to 44 piezometric wells for the period 2000 to 2016, the amount and trend of groundwater level changes were determined and the number of changes was also estimated in existing uses in the area. The results of Satellite Images analysis in the areas of Firoozabad and Mahidasht during the years 1987 to 2017 indicate an increase in the area of agricultural land utilization, reducing the area of land use, agriculture, and forestry. However, decreased precipitation and increased extraction of underground water in the following years led to a severe drop in the water level. The precipitation rate and its change play a significant role in controlling the underground water level. As the rainfall increases, more water flows into the aquifer which leads to increased water feeding and rises in the underground water level.