Given the constantly rising demand for freshwater, groundwater is a crucial freshwater resource for maintaining daily life in urban and suburban areas [1]. The importance of studying groundwater potential zones is based on the quantity, quality, and contamination of groundwater. The main causes of the consistent rise in freshwater demand are population expansion, the need for irrigation in agriculture, and climate change [2]. Groundwater as a substitute supply of fresh water has received serious attention due to the dangers of surface water pollution, rapid climate change, and the likelihood of droughts [3]. Because it is less polluted than surface water sources, which are easily contaminated by human activities like industrial and agricultural operations, groundwater becomes a significant alternative supply of freshwater in areas with a semi-arid temperature and environment [4].
Groundwater accounts for one-third of all freshwater abstractions globally [5]. In many regions of the world where water supplies are limited, groundwater is a crucial natural resource for any economic and social growth [6]. Groundwater supplies are a necessity for all economic activity, both internally and outside. However, a study that combines remote sensing and GIS data can offer a good platform for the converging analysis of massive amounts of data using very advanced cognitive process techniques for groundwater exploration.
Nations like Ethiopia are seeing a rise in groundwater demand as a result of the nation's fast urbanization, population growth, and economic development. In the area under examination, groundwater is the most often used resource for agriculture, animal husbandry, and the provision of drinking water.
The Lower Omo-Gibe watershed groundwater potential zone mapping will have a significant impact on the sub-basin. Since the Lower Omo-Gibe watershed is the main source of the Omo River, mapping the underground water would improve the nation's groundwater resources' sustainable management. Because of this, the current study is interested in delineating the groundwater potential zones within the study area using remote sensing and GIS technology.
Seven determining elements were taken into consideration for the study: slope, landuse landcover, Lineament density, Geology, Elevation, Soil texture, and Drainage density.
Geophysical technology-based groundwater exploration methods are expensive and time-consuming [7]. Due of these problems, humans have been forced to use a variety of technologies that can help them research vast areas in a brief amount of time while using few resources. These techniques, which include remote sensing and GIS, have been applied to find groundwater potential zones. Exploring the groundwater potential zone in varied geological settings is made simple and rapid with this method [8][9][10][11]. Several scholars have employed the RS and GIS procedures to designate groundwater potential zones all over the world [12][13][14][15]. Utilizing RS and GIS, groundwater resources can be found and explored. Geology, geomorphology, slope, soil type, rainfall, land use/land cover, lineament structures, and drainage criteria are all important factors [16][17].
For long-term resource management, it is essential to be able to locate the groundwater potential zone. It aids policymakers, decision-makers, and planners in making sure the groundwater resource is safeguarded from influences on both quantity and quality. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is one of the approaches to multi-criteria decision-making that is most frequently used [9]. AHP can be used to demarcate groundwater potential zones since it is an easy, quick, dependable, and efficient procedure [10]. When it comes to creating sustainable groundwater policies in this district, planners and policymakers will find this research to be a useful resource.