GIS and AHP Techniques Based Delineation of Groundwater Potential Zones: a case study from Southern Western Ghats, India

Approximately 59% of the studied river basin in the Southern Western Ghats, India, is identified as having moderate groundwater potential, with high and low potential zones covering 11% and 29%, respectively. The study employed a combination of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) techniques to delineate these zones using 12 thematic layers such as geology, geomorphology, rainfall, soil, and topography. This approach, validated with local groundwater data, achieved an overall accuracy of around 85%. The findings highlight the effectiveness of GIS-based methods in rapidly assessing groundwater potential, offering crucial insights for sustainable water resource management in tropical river basins.

Arulbalaji, P., Padmalal, D., & Sreelash, K. (2019). GIS and AHP Techniques Based Delineation of Groundwater Potential Zones: a case study from Southern Western Ghats, India. Scientific Reports, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-38567-x