Groundwater potential zonation mapping using GIS-based MCDM approach in east Gojjam zone, central Ethiopia

Study region

The study area is located in the East Gojjam zone, Amhara, Ethiopia; the area covers the Choke Mount and is surrounded by the Abbay River.

Study focus

The primary focus of the study was assessing the possible groundwater sites in the selected area using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with the Geographic Information System (GIS) approach for groundwater exploration and investigation.

New hydrological insights for the region

Water is a very important resource used to the day-to-day activities in our life, which is found naturally on the surface and subsurface of the Earth. The study area is a part of a nation-wide economically significant region in Ethiopia and the Horn. The area is the primary water supply (Choke Mountain) for the Ethiopian Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) receives the highest water supply from this region. The results of the study show that the groundwater potential zones in the area are mapped as poor, moderate, high, and very high groundwater potential areas. The Validations of the results were made using the borehole log data, and reasonably accepted the rationality of the adopted methodology. The considered parameters, as well as their evaluation of the production of the groundwater potential Map, were confirmed. The produced Groundwater potential map is very important for Irrigation Engineers, domestic water supply studies, agricultural studies, environmentalists, and future groundwater conservation strategies.