Multidisciplinary assessment of groundwater potential in the Gwandu formation, Sokoto basin, Northwestern Nigeria: a geophysical, hydrogeological, and GIS approach

ABSTRACT

Birnin Kebbi and its environs depend largely on the state government for domestic water supply through the state water board. However, this supply has been severely disrupted due to security challenges and rapid population growth, particularly in rural communities. Consequently, many residents increasingly rely on surface water sources, which pose serious public health risks. This situation highlights the urgent need for sustainable groundwater development in the area. This study assessed groundwater potential (GWP) within the region to delineate suitable zones for groundwater development using an integrated geophysical, hydrogeological, Geographic Information System, and Remote Sensing (RS) approach. The datasets used include geological information (lithology), geophysical parameters (aquifer resistivity and transverse resistance), and RS data derived from Landsat 8 and Digital Elevation Model. Nine groundwater-controlling factors, including geology, soil, land use/land cover , elevation, slope, drainage density, and stream proximity, were prepared as thematic layers. The Analytical Hierarchy Process was applied to assign weights and integrate these factors to generate a GWP map. The results show that high, moderate, and low GWP zones cover 12.8, 82.3, and 4.9% of the study area, respectively. Model validation using borehole yield data produced an AUC value of 0.84, indicating very good predictive accuracy.