Integrated Geospatial and Analytical Hierarchy Process Approach for Assessing Sustainable Management of Groundwater Recharge Potential in Barind Tract

Groundwater depletion in Bangladesh’s Barind tract poses significant challenges for sustainable water management. This study aims to delineate groundwater recharge potential zones in this region using an integrated geospatial and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach. The methodology combines remote-sensing data with GIS analysis, considering seven factors influencing groundwater recharge: rainfall, soil type, geology, slope, lineament density, land use/land cover, and drainage density. The AHP method was employed to assess the variability of groundwater recharge potential within the 7586 km² study area. Thematic maps of relevant factors were processed using ArcGIS software. Results indicate that 9.23% (700.22 km²), 47.68% (3617.13 km²), 37.12% (2816.13 km²), and 5.97% (452.70 km²) of the study area exhibit poor, moderate, good, and very good recharge potential, respectively. The annual recharge volume is estimated at 2554 × 10⁶ m³/year, constituting 22.7% of the total precipitation volume (11,227 × 10⁶ m³/year). Analysis of individual factors revealed that geology has the highest influence (33.57%) on recharge potential, followed by land use/land cover (17.74%), soil type (17.25%), and rainfall (12.25%). The consistency ratio of the pairwise comparison matrix was 0.0904, indicating acceptable reliability of the AHP results. The spatial distribution of recharge zones shows a concentration of poor recharge potential in areas with low rainfall (1200–1400 mm/year) and high slope (6–40%). Conversely, very good recharge potential is associated with high rainfall zones (1800–2200 mm/year) and areas with favorable geology (sedimentary deposits). This study provides a quantitative framework for assessing groundwater recharge potential in the Barind tract. The resulting maps and data offer valuable insights for policymakers and water resource managers to develop targeted groundwater management strategies. These findings have significant implications for sustainable water resource management in the region, particularly in addressing challenges related to agricultural water demand and climate change adaptation.