Abstract
The Harran Basin is an important region where agricultural activities have been conducted for millennia. The agricultural water needs of the basin are largely met with surface irrigation through the GAP (South-Eastern Anatolian Project), while groundwater is used in some regions as potable water, tap water, and irrigation water. In this study, the groundwater potential of the Harran Basin was determined through the “GIS-based Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM)” Method. Ten criteria were considered: Land Use, Soil, Geomorphology, Geology, Aquifer, Drainage Density, Rainfall, Slope, Lineament Density, and Terrain Class. The weights of these criteria were determined through the AHP method, and the operations were performed in the ArcGIS environment. As the results of this study, the Groundwater Potential Index (GWPI) values were obtained, and five regions were determined based on their Groundwater Potential Zone (GWPZ) classifications: very poor GWPI: 0.10% (5.14 km2); poor GWPI: 29.20%; moderate GWPI: 38.20%; good GWPI: 30.90%; and very good GWPI: 1.50%). We determined that the region is a plain with a low slope and geologically consists of limestone. Notably, areas with poor water potential are mountainous and hilly, and the slopes over these areas are high.
Highlights
In this study Land Use, Soil, Geomorphology, Geology, Aquifer, Drainage Density, Rainfall, Slope, Lineament Density, and Terrain Class were taken into consideration
It is calculated according to the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method as indicated in Equation (6); Groundwater Potential Index (GWPI) = LUr .LUw + STr .STw + GMr .GMw + Gr .Gw + Ar .Aw + DDr .DDw + Rr .Rw +Sr .Sw
The Harran Plain is a sub-basin of the Euphrates, where the wheat was harvested for the first time in ancient Mesopotamia
Summary
The Harran Basin hosted some of the oldest agricultural activities in history. Settlement in the basin began approximately 11,000 years ago [1], and there has been a continuous settlement in the basin since the Neolithic period [2]. In this timeframe, the basin has witnessed regular agriculture and stockbreeding activities. The Harran basin is one of the most important regions that hosts irrigated farming in Turkey [5]. While the majority of the Harran Basin has the opportunity to engage in surface irrigation under the GAP [6], due to unconscious irrigation, agricultural activities are conducted with groundwater in the south–southeast sections of the basin
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