Assessment of Groundwater Potential and Artificial Recharge Zones Using GIS and Remote Sensing in Kabul City, Afghanistan

Abstract

Background: Groundwater is the primary source of water supply in Kabul City, Afghanistan, but rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization, excessive groundwater abstraction, and climate variability have contributed to declining groundwater levels. Despite increasing groundwater stress, spatially explicit information on groundwater potential and suitable artificial recharge areas remains limited, creating a need for integrated and cost-effective groundwater assessment approaches. Objective: This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution of groundwater potential and identify suitable areas for artificial groundwater recharge in Kabul City using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques. Methods: An integrated GIS–RS framework was applied using thematic layers representing major hydro-environmental factors, including topography, slope, drainage density, geology, lithology, soil characteristics, land use/land cover (LULC), river networks, and surface water bodies. The thematic layers were standardised and assigned appropriate weights before being integrated through a GIS-based weighted overlay analysis to delineate groundwater potential and artificial recharge suitability zones. Results: The groundwater potential assessment revealed considerable spatial variation across Kabul City and classified the study area into three categories: Good, Moderate, and Low groundwater potential zones. A substantial proportion of the study area was classified as a Good potential zone, indicating favourable conditions for groundwater recharge and storage. These areas were generally associated with gentle slopes, lower elevations, permeable geological formations, suitable soil characteristics, and relatively low drainage density. Moderate-potential areas showed intermediate recharge and groundwater occurrence conditions, while Low-potential areas were mainly associated with mountainous terrain, steep slopes, and densely urbanized areas characterised by increased surface runoff and limited infiltration. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that groundwater occurrence in Kabul City is controlled by the combined effects of topographic, geological, hydrological, soil, and land-use characteristics. The integrated GIS–RS and weighted overlay approach provides an efficient, reliable, and cost-effective tool for groundwater potential assessment in data-limited environments. The resulting groundwater potential and artificial recharge suitability maps provide practical scientific support for prioritizing recharge zones, regulating groundwater abstraction, planning groundwater development, and implementing sustainable groundwater conservation strategies in Kabul City. The methodology can also be adapted for groundwater-stressed and semi-arid regions elsewhere in Afghanistan.