Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Fincha Lake Dynamics Using Geospatial Techniques

Abstract

Lakes and reservoirs are vital for human health and aquatic life. In Ethiopia's Fincha sub basin, water demand is rising rapidly, affecting Fincha Lake. Uncontrolled water abstraction, traditional watershed management practices, and land use changes may contribute to the Lake water level fluctuations. This study analyzes the changes in water area of Fincha Lake from 1990 to 2022 using remote sensing data from the Landsat platform. The objective of this study is to analyzed the spatiotemporal variations of Fincha Lake using geospatial techniques. Spectral water indices like the Automatic Water Extraction Index (AWEI), Water Ratio Index (WRI), Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI), and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) were applied to analysis lake waterbodies and area variations of Fincha lake. MNDWI and AWEI are the most effective, with MNDWI achieving 97.5% accuracy and a kappa coefficient of 0.93, and AWEI achieving 95% accuracy and a kappa coefficient of 0.92, respectively. Fincha Lake's surface area was measured in January of 1990, 2000, 2012, and 2022. In 1990, 182.13 km2 were observed; in 2000, 190.08 km2 ; in 2012, 173.98 km2 ; and in 2022, 197.25 km2 . The lake's surface size increased dramatically by around 7.95 km2 between 1990 and 2000. By 2012, though, it had decreased by about 16.1 km2 . The surface area increased significantly by around 23.27 km2 in 2022. These measurements show that Fincha Lake's surface area fluctuated throughout the duration of the observation period, showing major increases in 2000 and 2022 as well as a notable decline in 2012. The study also examined land cover changes around the lake. To preserve Fincha Lake's ecohydrology, integrated watershed management and sustainable water resource management are essential. Satellite and remote sensing data address significant gaps in data-poor locations like Fincha Lake, supporting integrated water management and environmental conservation. This data facilitates the development of plans and informs stakeholders in order to improve decision makin