Optimal Hydrometeorological Station Network Design Using GIS Techniques and Multicriteria Decision Analysis

AbstractAdequate and accurate hydrometeorological data are very important for performing a range of hydrologic purposes, including water resources management, assessment of the impacts of climate change, and flood forecasting and warning. The rational prevention of natural disasters, such as floods and droughts, is strongly connected with a forecasting technology which cannot be achieved without hydrometeorological observations. The existence of a dense network of instruments is required in order to be able to model, predict, and plan for catastrophic events which have obvious negative impacts on public health and socioeconomic aspects; however, this entails large installation and operational costs. This paper presents a multicriteria geographic information system (GIS)-based approach for the optimization of a station network, with the aim of establishing an optimal hydrometeorological station network in the Florina region of northern Greece, both for developing an up-to-date real time flood warning system and for water resources management, especially in agricultural areas.