Identifying Suitable Sites of Artificial Groundwater Recharge Structure Using Geoinformatics: A Review

Abstract

Groundwater is an important resource for agriculture and drinking water worldwide. However, the over exploitation in agriculture has resulted in a significant decline in quality and quantity. Sustainable groundwater management has become essential, requiring efficient planning and micro-level resource utilization. Geoinformatics, encompassing Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), has appeared as a prominent tool in hydrology and water resource development. These technologies enable the rapid assessment and mapping of groundwater potential zones and suitable sites for artificial recharge structures, utilizing different thematic layers, including geomorphology, slope, geology, soil type, land use/land cover, lineament density, and drainage. This review compiles recent advancements in identifying artificial groundwater recharge zones using geoinformatics and highlights methodologies as the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), fuzzy logicand Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The paper aims to support the development of cost-effective, efficient groundwater recharge strategies and contribute to sustainable aquifer management, especially during non-rainfall periods.