Identification of potential groundwater recharge zones in GIS domain

This study delineates groundwater recharge potential zones in a river basin using a GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis integrated with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Eleven thematic layers—including geology, lineament density, soil type and texture, hydrological soil groups, slope gradient, drainage density, curvature, and land use—were reclassified and weighted based on their influence on recharge. The weighted overlay technique produced a spatially explicit recharge potential map, categorizing the basin into five zones ranging from very poor to very good. Key findings reveal that colluvial and alluvial deposits, combined with gentle slopes and permeable soils, offer the highest recharge potential, while steep basaltic terrains exhibit minimal infiltration capacity. The integration of high-resolution geospatial data with AHP enhances the precision of hydrogeological assessments in data-scarce regions. These results provide a practical framework for targeted groundwater management, supporting sustainable resource planning aligned with the basin’s unique geological and topographic conditions.