Geospatial modelling of groundwater potential zones: A data-driven optimization

Groundwater is an essential resource for sustainable water management, particularly in water scarcity areas. This study introduces a data-driven optimization approach for mapping groundwater potential regions in Tamil Nadu, integrating multi-factor analysis with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Key hydrogeological parameters such as rainfall, soil, land use, slope, drainage density, and lineament density are evaluated to enhance decision-making over traditional methods. Spatial data is processed and analyzed using R programming to generate high-accuracy groundwater potential maps. The AHP model’s consistency ratio (CR) is within the acceptable threshold i.e. 0.16, ensuring reliability in the weight assignments. Additionally, the model’s predictive performance is validated using the ROC curve, achieving an accuracy of 89%. These findings enhance the reliability of groundwater potential mapping, offering a scientifically robust framework for sustainable water resource management and future hydrological studies.