GIS-MCDA-Based Assessment of Groundwater Abstraction Potential Under Data Constraints: A Case Study from the Rzeszów Region, Poland

This study presents a comprehensive GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework for identifying prospective groundwater abstraction sites in a 9 municipality region of South-East Poland (Podkarpackie Voivodeship), covering approximately 830 km2. The analysis integrated hydrogeological parameters (aquifer thickness, quality, productivity, water table depth, protection degree, recharge zones) with spatial risk factors (contamination sources, exclusion zones) and population density patterns. The MCDA approach provides a decision support tool for municipal authorities tasked with water infrastructure planning under conditions of limited baseline data. The framework demonstrates the utility of a carefully specified GIS-MCDA framework to provide such support, while highlighting the need for improved data sharing to enable full statistical validation.