Application of Geographic Information System (GIS) in Hydropower Resource Assessment: A Case Study in Misamis Occidental, Philippines

Abstract

This study focuses on the application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tools in identifying and classifying the theoretical hydropower potential sites in Misamis Occidental, a province located in the region of Northern Mindanao in the Philippines. GIS based hydrological modeling is performed on raster cells using topographical and meteorological datasets. Input datasets include Digital Elevation Model (DEM), landuse-landcover, soil map, watershed boundary, weather data (precipitation, humidity and temperature). The study has shown that 62% of the potential sites are classified as micro hydropower (5kW-100kW potential capacity) and 38% are classified as pico (less than 5kW). The results of this study will help policy makers, public authorities, and investors in the energy sector to optimize the available resources in selecting the suitable sites for small hydropower plants with high power potential. Index Terms-GIS, hydropower, renewable energy, resource assessment.