Combination of a geographical information system a

Authors: Ouassil Ait El Mekki NourEddine Laftouhi

Publish Date: 2016/07/26

Volume: 9, Issue: 4, Pages: 465-479

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Abstract

Arid to semiarid regions are characterized by low levels of surface water and low annual precipitation generally 350 mm/year In such areas groundwater must be used to meet all the needs of the population for water As a consequence careful management is required to ensure the sustainability of this scarce resource in response to the demands of urban centers industry agriculture and tourism The concept of the aquifer recharge rate is particularly useful in the quantification of these groundwater resources and can be used to form the basis of a decision support system This study determined the potential recharge rate in the Haouz aquifer using a multicriteria analysis that included both the major and minor factors influencing the rate of infiltration of water into the aquifer The analysis was based on the use of a geographical information system supported by remote sensing techniques to develop thematic data layers These layers were then used to describe the spatial variation of the factors influencing the recharge rate of the aquifer and were subsequently integrated and analyzed to derive the spatial distribution of the potential recharge This approach was used to classify the Haouz Plain Morocco into three different zones with respect to the recharge rate with recharge rates ranging from 35 to 182 

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