Harnessing the sustainable potential of groundwater in Saudi Arabia via remote sensing

Abstract

Groundwater resources in water-stressed regions, such as the Middle East, face significant challenges due to low precipitation, high temperatures, and elevated evaporation rates, which are compounded by anthropogenic stresses. In this context, Saudi Aramco (the national petroleum and natural gas company of Saudi Arabia) has contributed in the search for potential groundwater sources to ensure an adequate supply of potable water for the country’s citizens, agricultural needs, and industrial usage. In this study, we combined geographic information system (GIS), remote sensing (RS) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) techniques to evaluate the vulnerability of groundwater potential (taking Hail as a case study). With a total of 7 thematic layers (i.e., geology, slope, lineament density, land use/land cover, annual rainfall, drainage density, and soil texture), we found that groundwater potential zones with moderate to high coverage account for 91.9%, which is notably close to the borehole data, with a groundwater potential validation accuracy of 90.0%. The obtained results offer a crucial tool for decision-makers and managers, enabling them to develop timely protection and monitoring measures for groundwater resources.