Spatial Analysis of Deforestation in Water Recharge Area at the Toyoaning Sub-Watershed as a Drought Mitigation Effort

The groundwater crisis in Kediri District has increasingly felt its effects lately, especially in Sepawon Village, Plosoklaten Subdistrict, which is located in the upstream of the Toyoaning sub-watershed. There were a land cover change and forest conversion in groundwater recharge areas which causes reduced infiltration of rainwater and thus a reduction in groundwater reserves. The objectives of this study are: (1) to determine water recharge areas and water discharge areas in the Toyoaning sub-watershed, (2) to analyze the land cover change, and (3) to predict the land cover. This study uses weighting-overlaying methods for analyzing the variables used for determining groundwater recharge and discharge area. The results showed that forest cover was decreased in the groundwater recharge area, which was indicated as a cause of drought in the study area since September 2017. The area of primary forest lost from 2013 to 2018 is 0,71 km² and the prediction area of primary forest in 2028 is 4,84 km². The forest in the water recharge area is being converted into plantation and shrub/grassland. The government and the community together should be able to maintain the forest area to mitigate drought.