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Optimization of rain gauge network using multi-criteria decision analysis and entropy approaches: case of Tekeze River basin, northwestern Ethiopia

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Abstract

Rainfall is an important hydro-meteorological variable that has various applications in water resource planning and development. Adequate rain gauge network gives immediate and precise rainfall data that are crucial for effective and economical water resource management. This study describes a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in combination with kriging and entropy methods to optimize rain gauge networks in the Tekeze River basin, northwestern Ethiopia. The Tekeze River basin is a trans-boundary river basin in the northwestern part of Ethiopia having a drainage area 86 510 km2. The MCDA was used for selecting suitable locations for additional rain gauges in the basin. The kriging and entropy methods were used to determine the optimal number of rain gauge stations in the basin. Initial analysis showed that the existing 63 rain gauge stations in the basin are not adequate and result in about 12% rainfall estimation error. Optimization of rain gauge network in the Tekeze River basin resulted in 216 additional gauging stations. The total optimal number of rain gauges for the Tekeze River would thus be 279. The results of the study revealed that the combined use of the MCDA, kriging, and entropy methods is useful to optimize the spatial distribution and number of rain gauge stations in a basin.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Mekelle University, School of Civil Engineering, for providing all the necessary arrangements for conducting this research. We would like also to thank the Ethiopian National Meteorological Agency for providing rainfall data of the existing rain gauge stations in the study area. Lastly, we are thankful to the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Electricity for providing Digital Elevation Model, land use, road network, and drainage network data of the study area.

Availability of data and material

The recorded monthly rainfall data of the currently existing rain gauge stations and GIS files such as the Digital Elevation Model, land use, road, and drainage networks used to support the findings of this study were provided by the Ethiopian National Meteorological Agency and Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, GIS, and Remote Sensing department respectively. Requests for access to these data should be made in person or via email to nmsa@ethionet.et for rainfall data and water.resources@aau.edu.et for the GIS datasets.

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  1. School of Civil Engineering, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 3185, Mekelle, Ethiopia

    Mulugeta Tekleyohannes, Berhane Grum, Niguse Abebe & Bizuneh Asfaw Abebe

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  1. Mulugeta Tekleyohannes
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  2. Berhane Grum
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  3. Niguse Abebe
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  4. Bizuneh Asfaw Abebe
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Correspondence to Mulugeta Tekleyohannes.

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Tekleyohannes, M., Grum, B., Abebe, N. et al. Optimization of rain gauge network using multi-criteria decision analysis and entropy approaches: case of Tekeze River basin, northwestern Ethiopia. Theor Appl Climatol 145, 159–174 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-021-03604-1

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