Indices help categorize river basins into pollution zones by comparing water samples, often showing a see-saw behavior between heavily polluted areas and cleaner areas. 3. The "SAW" Method (Simple Additive Weighting)
One of the most notable uses of the SAW index is in geographic information systems (GIS) for environmental protection. Researchers have utilized the SAW index for mapping . By stacking weighted criteria like soil type, rainfall, lineament density, and slope, the SAW index successfully delineates accurate groundwater zones with precision that frequently outperforms more complex models like the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). 2. Water Quality Management