GROUNDWATER POTENTIAL MODELLING USING REMOTE SENSING AND GIS: A CASE STUDY OF THE AKURE AREA

Abstract

Groundwater is, no doubt, a resource needed for the sustainable development of any country. Remote sensing and GIS technology have proved to be efficient in the monitoring of earth resources, including groundwater. Akure is a fast-growing city which requires groundwater modelling as a component of its developmental strategy. The hydrogeological factors at play in the study area are considered for this study. Thematic maps of lineaments, land cover, and geomorphology were produced by direct digital image processing of Landsat ETM+ of the study area. Other data such as the geology, contour, slope, rainfall, and soil, were also obtained from respective thematic maps of the area. The various factors and their intangibles (individual attributes) are assigned weights and reclassified according to their relative importance to groundwater occurrence by using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The Weighted overlay was subsequently used in modelling the groundwater potential of the study area. Areas with poor, fair, moderate, good and very good groundwater potentials were delineated and their relationships with the various hydrogeological parameters established. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of remote sensing and GIS as a time-saving and cost-effective tool for delineation and identification of very prolific groundwater potential target areas.