DETECTING SURFACE WATER AREAS AS ALTERNATIVE WATER RESOURCE LOCATIONS DURING THE DRY SEASON USING SENTINEL-2 IMAGERY (CASE STUDY: LOWLAND REGION OF BEKASI-KARAWANG, WEST JAVA PROVINCE)

Abstract

In Indonesia, drought is a type of disaster that often occurs, especially during the dry season. What is most needed at such times is the availability of sufficient water sources to meet shortages. Therefore, water source locations are vital during the dry season in order to meet needs. To meet this information need, remote sensing data offer a precise solution.  This research proposes a rapid method of detecting surface water areas based on remote sensing image data. It focuses on the use of remote sensing satellite imagery to detect objects and the location of surface water sources. The purpose of the study is to rapidly identify objects and locate surface water sources using Sentinel-2 MSI (MultiSpectral Instrument), one of the latest types of remote sensing satellite data. Several water index (WI) methods were applied before deciding which was most suitable for detecting surface water objects. The lowland region of Bekasi-Karawang, a drought prone area, was designated as the research location. The results of the research show that by using Sentinel-2 MSI imagery, MNDWI (Modified Normalized Water Index) is the appropriate parameter to detect surface water areas in the lowland region of Bekasi-Karawang, West Java Province, Indonesia, during times of drought. The method can be employed as an alternative approach based on remote sensing data for the rapid detection of surface water areas as alternative sources of water during the dry season. The existence of natural water sources (swamps, marshes, ponds) that remain during this time can be used as alternative water resources. Further research is still needed which focuses on different geographical conditions and other regions in Indonesia.