Integrating Remote Sensing and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for Groundwater Zoning in the Eastern Desert of Egypt

The Eastern Desert of Egypt is a hyper-arid region where groundwater represents the most viable freshwater source for sustainable development. This study presents a comprehensive geospatial analysis integrating remote sensing data and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) within a GIS environment to delineate groundwater potential zones (GWPZ). Seven thematic layers—precipitation, lithology, slope, drainage density, soil type, land use/land cover (LULC), and lineament density—are selected based on their relevance to groundwater recharge and availability. These layers are standardized, classified, and weighted using AHP, yielding a consistent and validated spatial model. The final resulting GWPZ map categorizes the region into four classes: high, moderate, low, and very low potential, with the low potential zone dominating 71% of the area, followed by moderate (23%), very low (4%), and high potential zones (2%). This research offers a scalable and reliable framework for groundwater exploration and supports strategic water resource planning in arid regions with limited surface water availability.