Comparative Analysis of Multi‐Criteria Decision‐Making Approaches for Identifying Groundwater Recharge Potential Zones in the River Basin of Northern Kerala, India

ABSTRACT Groundwater resources are increasingly strained by misuse and climate change, necessitating the identification of potential recharge zones for sustainable management. The study aimed to simulate potential recharge zones of a tropical river basin using two multi‐criteria decision‐making techniques: the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Multi‐Influencing Factor (MIF) methods. Thematic layers of key variables were integrated using a weighted overlay analysis in GIS environment to model recharge areas within a tropical river basin in Northern Kerala, India. Normalized weights and ranks were calculated to evaluate their influence on groundwater development. Five classes of groundwater recharge potential zones (GWRPZ) with their derived areas were identified for AHP and MIF, respectively: high (30.39% and 28.24%), low (21.55% and 21.60%), very high (19.20% and 18.45%), moderate (16.96% and 20.25%), and very low (11.90% and 11.45%). Validation with overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient confirmed the methods' comparability. The results guide water well site selection and improve managed aquifer recharge (MAR) strategies. Local bodies within the river basin were ranked utilizing the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method to prioritize and implement recharge schemes, aiding sustainability goals in groundwater management.