Delineating groundwater potential zones using geospatial techniques and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) ensemble in the data-scarce region: evidence from the lower Thoubal river watershed of Manipur, India

• Published in: Arabian journal of geosciences 2022-04, Vol.15 (8), Article 677
• Main Authors: Rahaman, Md Hibjur, Sajjad, Haroon, Roshani, Masroor, Md, Bhuyan, Nirsobha, Rehman, Sufia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analytic hierarchy process; Developing countries; Drainage density; Drilling; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth science; Earth Sciences; Exploitation; Geomorphology; Groundwater; Groundwater potential; Land cover; Land use; LDCs; Lithology; Local communities; Normalized difference vegetative index; Original Paper; Rain; Rainfall; Resource management; Surface water; Surface-groundwater relations; Water demand; Water management; Water resources; Water resources management; Water scarcity; Watersheds
• ISSN: 1866-7511; 1866-7538
• DOI: 10.1007/s12517-022-09946-y

Groundwater is one of the significant sources of water for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. The demand for water has increased over the years and this has caused water scarcity in many developing countries. Thus, monitoring and assessment of groundwater is essential for a robust water resource management. The study attempts to delineate groundwater potential zones using a simple but effective ensemble of fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) and geospatial technologies. Ten site-specific parameters, namely geomorphology, lineament density, drainage density, lithology, slope, rainfall, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), topographic position index (TPI), land use/land cover (LULC) and curvature, were analyzed to evaluate their influence on groundwater potential. The results revealed that of the total area of the watershed, three watersheds (SW3, SW4 and SW7) covering 43.6% area possessed moderate groundwater potential. Two watersheds (SW5 and SW6) covering an area of 29.7% were having low groundwater potential while the other two watersheds (SW1 and SW2), covering an area of 26.6% were having high potential for groundwater. Groundwater potential zones were validated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and yielded the area under curve (AUC) of 0.82, which ascertained a good validity of the model applied. The methodology adopted in the study may be effectively utilized by the other geographical regions for accurate mapping of groundwater potentials. This preliminary estimate and insights of groundwater potential may help the local water managers, authorities and local communities in exploring the potential drilling sites for groundwater exploitation. The study calls for the conjunctive utilization of surface water and groundwater to maintain a balance between the surface water and groundwater.