A Geospatial and AHP-Based Approach for Delineating Groundwater Potential Zones in Vulnerable Groundwater Systems

Groundwater is the second largest reserve of fresh water and is an important resource that supports agriculture, industrial and domestic water supplies. Groundwater is facing unsustainable impacts by human activities over the years in different forms. The situation is aggravated by climate change which aggravates groundwater stress through variable precipitation leading to reduced recharge. Thus, highlighting the importance of assessing aquifer potential for sustainable groundwater management. The analysis was carried out in the Manjra and Maner sub-basins, of Godavari river basin, India where data-driven assessments remain limited. In this regard, the present research employs a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework that integrates Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to define groundwater potential zones (GWPZ) in the Manjra and Maner sub-basins. In a GIS environment, eight thematic layers—geology, land use/land cover, lineament density, drainage density, rainfall, soil, and slope—were examined. These factors were weighted using AHP, and combined using weighted overlay analysis. Area under the Curve (AUC), Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis, and groundwater inventory data were used to validate the final GWPZ map. Five classifications of groundwater potential were identified for the research area: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. The research region's predominance of moderate (45%) to high potential (28%) zones suggests that groundwater availability is generally fair to good. Priority locations for sustainable groundwater development and management are indicated by the high and very high potential zones.