Remote sensing and GIS supported groundwater potential zone mapping for sustainable groundwater management in Fentale district, Ethiopia

Overexploitation of groundwater resources has become more visible and has caused groundwater depletion in many countries. Assessment of groundwater potential is a vital step in enhancing the sustainable management of groundwater resources. This study aimed to identify and locate the groundwater potential zones of the Fentale district by integrating remote sensing and geographic information systems via an analytical hierarchy process. Groundwater potential zones were created using eleven influencing factors, including geology, topographic position index, drainage density, lineament density, rainfall, soil type, soil texture, elevation, slope, topographic wetness index, and land use/land cover. Thematic layers of these influencing factors were then generated in raster format, and given appropriate weightage based on their relative reaction to groundwater occurrence. The groundwater potential zone in the study area was generated and classified into four groups: very low, low, moderate, and high. The very low, low, moderate, and high potential zones were represented by 0.2% (244.73 hectares), 28.754% (34,322.65 hectares), 56.03% (64,309.52 hectares), and 17.164% (20,489.15 hectares), respectively. The final potential zone map aligns well with the weighting and ranking analysis conducted. Based on these findings, almost all inactive wells were found in the low and very low potential zones. Finally, the result obtained was validated using 35 wells yield data, and the receiver operating characteristic curve method from which the accuracy obtained was above 80%, and the area under the curve was found to be 0.813. Given the validated findings, it’s evident that there is a significant possibility for groundwater potential in the district. Concerned bodies should take this opportunity to tackle the water scarcity the aridity of the district and focus on sustainable management of this vital resource.