Open Access

ARTICLE

Delineating Groundwater Potential Zones Using Geospatial and Analytical Hierarchy Process Techniques in the Upper Omo-Gibe Basin, Ethiopia

by Yonas Hagos^1,2,*, Zelalem Bedaso¹, Mulugeta Kebede³

1 Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
2 Hanley Sustainability Institute, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
3 Institute of Geophysics, Space Science and Astronomy, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, 1000, Ethiopia

* Corresponding Author: Yonas Hagos. Email:

Revue Internationale de Géomatique 2024, 33, 399-425. https://doi.org/10.32604/rig.2024.053975

Received 15 May 2024; Accepted 28 August 2024; Issue published 27 September 2024

Abstract

In regions with unpredictable rainfall and limited water supply, it’s crucial to pinpoint areas with high potential for groundwater and find the best spots for groundwater resource development. This study utilizes the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in combination with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to evaluate the potential groundwater zones in the Gombora watershed within the Omo Gibe basin in Ethiopia. Combining these two tools provided a detailed map showing potential groundwater areas. These zones are determined based on various thematic maps containing information about geology, soil texture, lineament density, slope, land use, and drainage density. The AHP method combines these data layers by assigning weights to each layer based on its importance for groundwater recharge. These weighted layers are then overlaid using a GIS platform to produce a conclusive map of potential groundwater areas. The groundwater potential within the watershed was qualitatively divided into five categories with area coverages of very good (1.6%), good (7.4%), moderate (21.4%), poor (51.6%), and very poor (17.9%) of the watershed area. The accuracy of the groundwater potential zones was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC), producing good results (AUC = 75.5%). This research has shown that integrating AHP with GIS can effectively pinpoint potential groundwater zones. Additionally, the findings could play a key role in determining suitable locations for new groundwater wells and supplying valuable insights to decision-makers to aid in planning and implementing sustainable strategies for managing groundwater resources in the watershed.

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Keywords

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