Groundwater potential zones mapping using GIS, RS, and AHP method in the Guigou basin, Middle Atlas, Morocco

A sustainable water supply system is essential to overcome water scarcity. In this regard, the effective use of cutting-edge technologies, such as GIS and remote sensing, is crucial to optimizing groundwater management. Using these technologies greatly facilitates the mapping and deciphering of water sources. Typically, the implementation of these technologies in the Guigou basin enables accurate mapping of groundwater potential recharge areas, thus contributing to a reliable and sustainable water supply. In this subject, our study aims to model the groundwater storage areas in the Guigou basin using geographic information system (GIS), remote sensing (RS) and AHP methods. Eight thematic maps of lithology, slope, rainfall, rock fracture, Fractional impervious surfaces, LU/LC, soil and drainage were, respectively, classified and weighted and then used to create the map of potential groundwater storage areas. The results have shown that the area of medium, high, and very high potential zones make up 66.38%, 11.43%, and 0.048% of the total, respectively, while medium and low potential zones make up 22.14% and 0.002% of the total. The obtained results have been validated with 51 wells in the study area. It indicates a clear correlation between the groundwater potential zones and the wells’ depth. This relationship between depth and location of drilled wells is particularly clear; in fact, the majority of shallow wells are found in places with high potential, whilst the majority of deep wells are found in areas with low potential.