Assessment of Watershed Health Using Multicriteria Indicators

The Kulekhani Watershed, a critical ecological and socioeconomic asset in Nepal, is increasingly threatened by unsustainable land use, population pressure, and climate variability, leading to severe degradation of its health and ecosystem functions. This study applies an integrated, multicriteria framework to evaluate watershed health, incorporating biophysical and anthropogenic indicators: vegetation status (via Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), Water Quality Index (WQI), road density, population density, and building density. Satellite‐based NDVI analysis revealed pronounced seasonal variation, with peak vegetation cover during the monsoon and significant declines in the dry season. Water quality parameters were analyzed using principal component analysis to identify key drivers influencing stream conditions. Results indicate sharp spatial disparities: SW2 emerged as unhealthy due to minimal vegetation cover and high human disturbance, while SW6 exhibited the highest health index, supported by robust vegetation and superior water quality. Overall, four subwatersheds demonstrated moderate health, underscoring pervasive anthropogenic pressure across the basin. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted watershed management strategies, including reforestation, controlled infrastructure development, and water quality improvement, to restore ecosystem resilience and sustain essential services. This integrative approach offers a replicable model for holistic watershed health assessment in data‐limited regions.