Integrating GIS, remote sensing, and analytic hierarchical process (AHP) for mapping of groundwater-recharge potential zones in Kenitra Province, Morocco: toward sustainable development goals achievement

Kenitra Province, Morocco, a coastal agricultural hub, is experiencing severe groundwater depletion due to overexploitation. A study addressed this issue by identifying and mapping groundwater recharge potential zones (GWRPZ) using GIS, remote sensing, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Key factors influencing recharge, including rainfall, soil permeability, distance to rivers, drainage density, slope, TWI, elevation, NDVI, land use/land cover (LULC), and lineament density, were considered. The Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) approach in ArcGIS 10.8 was employed to produce a GWRPZ suitability map. The resulting map categorized the region into four classes: Low (21.7%), Moderate (26.4%), High (31.6%), and Very High (8.7%). Field observations validated the model’s accuracy, with an AUC of 0.843. The significant overlap between high recharge zones and intensive agriculture raises concerns about potential groundwater contamination from nitrates. This research highlights the urgent need for sustainable groundwater management practices in Kenitra to address overexploitation, maintain water quality, and prevent seawater intrusion. The GWRPZ map provides crucial information for policymakers and stakeholders to develop targeted strategies for groundwater conservation, recharge enhancement, and protection.