Delineation of Groundwater Potential Area using an AHP, Remote Sensing, and GIS Techniques in the Ifni Basin, Western Anti-Atlas, Morocco

An assessment of potential groundwater areas in the Ifni basin, located in the western AntiAtlas range of Morocco, was conducted based on a multicriteria analytical approach that integrated a set of geomorphological and hydroclimatic factors influencing the availability of this resource. This approach involved the use of geographic information systems (GIS) and hierarchical analytical process (AHP) models. Different factors were classified and weighted according to their contribution to and impact on groundwater reserves. Their normalized weights were evaluated using a pairwise comparison matrix. Four classes of potentiality emerged: very high, high, moderate, and low, occupying 15.22%, 20.17%, 30.96%, and 33.65%, respectively, of the basin’s area. A groundwater potential map (GWPA) was validated by comparison with data from 134 existing water points using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The AUC was calculated at 80%, indicating the good predictive accuracy of the AHP method. These results will enable water operators to select favorable sites with a high groundwater potential

Spatial Mapping of Groundwater Potentiality Applying Geometric Average and Fractal Models: A Sustainable Approach

Water scarcity affects all continents, with approximately 1.2 billion people living in areas where water is physically lacking. This scarcity is more accentuated in countries with an arid climate, and its impact becomes more threatening when the economy depends mainly on it. The Kingdom of Morocco, with its agricultural vocation, is one of them, especially in its southern regions. Therefore, mapping areas with high groundwater potential based on available geospatial data allows for optimizing the choice of a future well in such areas. Geometric average and fractal models were used to assess and delineate potential groundwater areas in the Tissent basin, Southeast Morocco. Eight factors, including topography, geology, hydrology, and hydrogeology, influencing the distribution of water resources was used. The formation permeability factor presents the most significant impact among the others, although it is directly related to most of them. The areas located in the central and downstream part of the basin are characterized by a high water potentiality due to increased geological formations’ permeability near the drainage system, which constitutes a recharge zone, and a low slope allowing a prolonged water-formation contact time favoring a gradual infiltration of the water towards the deep aquifers. The groundwater potential map has been edited and validated by comparing it with data from 52 wells scattered throughout the basin. The favorable potential sectors cover 15.81% of the basin’s total area. The moderate ones account for 21.36% while the unfavorable areas cover 62.83%. These results aim to provide policymakers and managers with a guide map for groundwater research and reduce hydrogeological investigation costs