Open Access

ARTICLE

Detection, Analysis, and Mapping of Potential Groundwater Areas in the Oued Lakhdar Watershed (Morocco): Using GIS and AHP Techniques

Elhoucein Layati^*, Omaima Elkbichi, Bahija Choukri, Mohamed El Ghachi

Landscape Dynamics, Risks and Heritage, University of Sultan of Moulay Slimane, Beni Mellal, 23000, Morocco

* Corresponding Author: Elhoucein Layati. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advancements in Geospatial Methods and Technologies for Sustainable Built Environment and Engineering)

Revue Internationale de Géomatique 2025, 34, 277-300. https://doi.org/10.32604/rig.2025.063846

Received 25 January 2025; Accepted 21 April 2025; Issue published 30 May 2025

Abstract

Awareness of the impact of climate change, urbanization, population growth, and anthropogenic pressure on surface waters has led to the need for specialized studies on groundwater potential. Groundwater is an important source of freshwater, particularly in regions where surface water is scarce. With climate change, the need to rely on these waters to cope with water shortages and rising demand is becoming increasingly apparent. Remote sensing, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the Geographic Information System (GIS) are advanced spatial tools used in this study to assess groundwater potential in the Oued Lakhdar watershed, which covers an area of 1638 km². Seven explanatory factors were selected: rainfall, lithology, soil type, slope, land use, drainage density, and lineament density. The map obtained was validated based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC), giving an efficiency of 70.20%. Five classes were defined for the groundwater potential map in this basin: 12.28% of the basin area was classified as very favorable, 25.68% as favorable, 17.71% as average, 26.23% as low, and 18.09% as very low. The Regional Directorate of Agriculture in Azilal and the Oum El Rabia Water Basin Agency in Beni Mellal should use these findings to inform decision-making in land use planning and groundwater management in the Oued Lakhdar watershed.

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