Luís, António dos AnjosCabral, Pedro2021-03-152021-03-152021-09-012095-6339PURE: 28646448PURE UUID: c21f0c5b-22c9-4c19-9f97-dd4170aed686Scopus: 85101958071ORCID: /0000-0001-8622-6008/work/90657430WOS: 000659949800007http://hdl.handle.net/10362/113941Luís, A. D. A., & Cabral, P. (2021). Small dams/reservoirs site location analysis in a semi-arid region of Mozambique. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 9(3), 381-393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2021.02.002The water crisis is one of the biggest human problems in developing countries, especially in semi-arid regions where it can form an obstacle to irrigation and cultivation, cattle raising and people's survival. The construction of small dams/reservoirs are a possible solution to remediate this problem. These infrastructures must be located in suitable areas to be successful. This study aimed to find the most suitable locations for small dams/reservoirs in the Tete province region, Mozambique, which has a pronounced water deficit. A Geographical Information System (GIS) based approach was used to implement a multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) analysis through an Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP), which included local experts’ consultation. Three main categories of suitability were identified: “Not suitable” (15% of total area), “Modestly suitable” (78%), and “Suitable” (7%). We found that 35 of the 38 (92%) abandoned small dams/reservoirs were in areas classified as “Modestly suitable” confirming the robustness of our model. We also found that most of the dams/reservoirs currently operating (78%) and planned (73%) are in modestly suitable areas. This finding suggests that the decision to construct dams/reservoirs may not have considered the most critical suitability factors identified in this study. More data and/or additional criteria are required for the full understanding of finding out why so many dams/reservoirs failed before building new ones to address the population's water needs in the region.133967356engGeographic information systemsMozambiqueMulti-criteria evaluationRemote sensingWater scarcityWater Science and TechnologyAgronomy and Crop ScienceSoil ScienceNature and Landscape ConservationSDG 1 - No PovertySDG 2 - Zero HungerSDG 6 - Clean Water and SanitationSDG 10 - Reduced InequalitiesSDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communitiesjournal article10.1016/j.iswcr.2021.02.002https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85101958071http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcAuth=Alerting&SrcApp=Alerting&DestApp=WOS_CPL&DestLinkType=FullRecord&UT=WOS:000659949800007