Multicriteria decision making for sustainable groundwater development and management in basaltic terrain of Upper Bhima basin, Maharashtra, India

Climate change has exacerbated freshwater challenges, leading to groundwater depletion and threatening food security. As demand increases amid shrinking supplies, advanced technologies and methodologies are essential for sustainable groundwater management. This study employed a multi-criteria decision-making approach by coupling the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with nine thematic layers and 36 morphometric parameters to identify groundwater potential zones (GWPZ) and manage water resources in the Upper Bhima Basin, predominantly characterized by basaltic aquifer systems. Using AHP, five zones were delineated within the basin and categorized as very poor (6.7 %), poor (24.6 %), moderate (34.9 %), good (23.9 %), and very good (9.9 %). The thematic layers' weights demonstrated a high level of reliability, with a consistency index of 0.00051 and a consistency ratio of 0.00035. GWPZ was also validated with the Area Under the Curve (AUC = 0.707). Morphometric analysis further supports the identification of low potential zones in the steep slope region. The mean bifurcation and circularity ratios for the basin, highlighting minimal geological influence on the drainage pattern and varying infiltration capacities. Furthermore, the hypsometric analysis reveals a concave shape with an integral value of 0.19, indicating the potential for developing stable recharge zones for sustainable groundwater management. Besides this, evapotranspiration and NDVI have shown strong seasonality, highlighting the agricultural response of the region and exhibiting a strong connection with ENSO events. Increasing urbanization and agrarian expansion drive water demand, necessitating effective regional groundwater management. Measures like check dams, rainwater harvesting, and cultivating less water-intensive crops can enhance water security.