<p>Land degradation due to soil erosion is a major concern which necessitates the identification of most critical watersheds. Morphometric analysis in collaboration with Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) models has emerged as an efficient technique for watershed prioritization. The present study was conducted to prioritize the eight watersheds (WS-1 to WS-8) located in <i>Shivaliks</i> of Punjab, India for implementation of appropriate soil and water conservation measures. The Advanced Space born Thermal emission and reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Digital Elevation Model DEM (30&#xa0;m resolution) was processed in ArcGIS (10.8) to derive the basic watershed characteristics and various morphometric, linear, areal and relief, parameters. The techniques including compound factor (CF), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) were used to assign the priority ranks for watershed prioritization. The area of watersheds varied from 25.04 km² (WS-2) to 86.16 km² (WS-5), whereas the average slope varied from 0.68% (WS-4) to 1.60% (WS-2). The drainage density varied from 2.71 to 3.07 and the texture ratio was found be in the range of 1.69 to 4.47. Fitness ratio ranged from 0.363 to 0.447 while as channel sinuosity (Cs) value varied from 5.52 to 8.82. WS-7 was identified as the most prioritized watershed (rank 1) by all the three approaches. The second rank was assigned to WS- 6 by CF and PCA methods, however, TOPSIS assigned second rank to WS-8. The last rank was assigned to WS-1 by CF (rank 6) and TOPSIS (rank 7) methods, while as PCA assigned last rank to WS-4 (rank 6). Therefore, it is recommended that the WS-7 may be selected for implementation of appropriate soil and water conservation measures. The results of the present study may act as a guide for policy makers for adoption of soil and water conservation measures in the prioritized watershed.</p> Graphical Abstract <p>The lower <i>Shivaliks</i> of north-west India extends in five northern states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and some parts of Haryana covering an area of about 2.14&#xa0;m ha. In Punjab, this region extends is five districts namely Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Rupnagar and Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, covering an area of about 0.39&#xa0;m ha. This region is defined as one of the most fragile ecosystems of the country as it is susceptible to soil erosion due to undulating topography, high rainfall, denuded hills and deforestation. The present study was conducted to prioritize the eight watersheds located in <i>Shivaliks</i> of Punjab using morphometric analysis and MCDM models in a GIS framework. ASTER DEM was processed in ArcGIS to derive the linear, areal and relief parameters of the morphometry. Three approaches, viz., compound factor, PCA and TOPSIS were used to assign the priority ranks to the watersheds based on the values of morphometric parameters. Results showed that the watershed no. 7 is most prioritized watershed by all three approaches, followed by WS-6 by PCA and CF methods, and WS-8 by TOPSIS method. The findings of the study suggest that WS-7 requires urgent need of conservation interventions by the line departments. The results would be highly beneficial for the policymakers and stakeholders in developing comprehensive frameworks of soil and water conservation for the prioritized watershed.</p>