TY - JOUR
T1 - Managed aquifer recharge in karstic systems:Site suitability mapping by coupling multi-criteria decision analysis with remote sensing and hydrologic modeling
AU - Itani, N.
AU - Harik, G.
AU - Alameddine, I.
AU - El-Fadel, M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was funded by the US Agency for International Development ( USAID ) under the terms of Grant Number G17AC00079 with the US Geological Survey ( USGS ) and implemented in partnership with other regional partners including the American University of Beirut . The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USAID or the USGS. We are grateful for the support of Dr. Daniel Goode at the USGS and to Dar Al-Handasah (Shair & Partners) Endowment for its support to the graduate programs in Engineering at the American University of Beirut . Special thanks are extended to Dr. Wissam Khadra at the Department of Geology, American University of Beirut for helping in adapting Fig. 1 e.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2022/11/15
Y1 - 2022/11/15
N2 - Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) offers a promising strategic management alternative for water storage and subsequent recovery to alleviate water shortage and to protect coastal aquifers from saltwater intrusion. Selecting potentially suitable recharge sites remains challenging, particularly in heterogeneous karst systems. In this study, MAR site suitability in a karst coastal aquifer is examined using a new geospatial approach that accounts for aquifer rechargeability properties, water availability, and economic-environmental attractiveness. For this purpose, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), supported by pairwise comparisons, with an intrinsic karst aquifer rechargeability index is coupled with a raster-based hydrologic model that was forced by remotely-sensed precipitation, temperature, and land use data. The approach was successfully used to define exclusionary zones and to identify sites with high MAR potential that were independently collocated with hydrogeological indicators ascertaining its potential for site suitability mapping in systems with prevailing karstic aquifers.
AB - Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) offers a promising strategic management alternative for water storage and subsequent recovery to alleviate water shortage and to protect coastal aquifers from saltwater intrusion. Selecting potentially suitable recharge sites remains challenging, particularly in heterogeneous karst systems. In this study, MAR site suitability in a karst coastal aquifer is examined using a new geospatial approach that accounts for aquifer rechargeability properties, water availability, and economic-environmental attractiveness. For this purpose, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), supported by pairwise comparisons, with an intrinsic karst aquifer rechargeability index is coupled with a raster-based hydrologic model that was forced by remotely-sensed precipitation, temperature, and land use data. The approach was successfully used to define exclusionary zones and to identify sites with high MAR potential that were independently collocated with hydrogeological indicators ascertaining its potential for site suitability mapping in systems with prevailing karstic aquifers.
KW - Geospatial analysis
KW - Karst systems
KW - Managed aquifer recharge
KW - Multi-criteria decision analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85137167005&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116162
DO - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116162
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85137167005
SN - 0301-4797
VL - 322
JO - Journal of Environmental Management
JF - Journal of Environmental Management
M1 - 116162
ER -
