IDENTIFICATION OF GROUNDWATER POTENTIAL ZONE USING AHP TECHNIQUES: A CASE STUDY OF MELKA SODA DISTRICT, GENALE DAWA BASIN, ETHIOPIA

ABSTRACT Water resources in the Melka Soda district face significant challenges due to low rainfall and a lack of surface water. The current study aims to identify groundwater potential zones in the Melka Soda district using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) techniques. For this purpose, eight controlling factors like lithology, lineament density, geomorphology, slope, land use land cover, drainage density, rainfall, and soil texture, were selected based on the literature and opinion of experts. According to their relative importance in groundwater occurrence of the area, suitable weights were assigned to all the factors in AHP. The results indicated that lithology was the most significant factor in identifying groundwater potential zones in the area. Weighted sum overlay analysis was used to aggregate all factors, and the resulting groundwater potential index was used to identify four groundwater potential zones ranging from very low to high. These zones were validated with discharge data from wells and boreholes, and found reasonably accurate at 85.7%. The study shows that more than 50% of the area has moderate to high groundwater potential, making it a valuable resource for water policy makers seeking to develop and manage the district's water resources. The findings can be used to plan and execute more efficient water management strategies and future development projects.