Saber et al. (2026) Enhancing groundwater recharge mapping in arid regions with geospatial multi-criteria analysis in the Eastern desert of Egypt

Identification

• Journal: Scientific Reports
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-02-28
• Authors: Mohamed Saber, Noura Dahri, Tetsuya Sumi, Ahmed Sefelnasr, Dalal Alshamsi, Ahmed Gad, Abdelhalim Mahmoud Ibrahim Mo Ali, Alaa Ahmed
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-39134-x

Research Groups

• Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
• National Water and Energy Center, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
• Geosciences Department, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Short Summary

This study developed an integrated methodology combining Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Remote Sensing (RS), and Geographic Information System (GIS) to map groundwater recharge potential zones in the Qift–El Quseir area of Egypt's Eastern Desert. The research successfully identified and validated these zones, estimating a basin-scale recharge of approximately 9.67 × 10^6 m^3/year.

Objective

• To identify and map groundwater recharge potential zones in the Qift–El Quseir area of Egypt's Eastern Desert to address water scarcity and ensure the sustainability of aquifers.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Qift–El Quseir area, Eastern Desert of Egypt.
• Temporal Scale: Data includes long-term gridded precipitation; the study focuses on current recharge potential.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for multi-criteria evaluation, Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information System (GIS). Validation included Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) evaluation.
• Data sources:
  • Sentinel-2 imagery
  • ALOS PALSAR digital elevation model (DEM)
  • Long-term gridded precipitation
  • Geological maps
  • Land cover maps
  • Geophysical data
  • Hydrochemical data
  • Eight key parameters extracted: drainage density, slope, topographic wetness index, lineament density, lithology, rainfall, land cover, and soil characteristics.

Main Results

• AHP-based multi-criteria evaluation highlighted lineament density and lithology as the dominant controls on groundwater recharge, followed by topographic and drainage characteristics.
• The resulting Groundwater Recharge Potential Index map classified the basin into four categories:
  • Excellent to very good: 22.0% of the area
  • Very good to good: 34.9% of the area
  • Good to moderate: 31.2% of the area
  • Moderate to low: 11.9% of the area
• The estimated basin-scale groundwater recharge is approximately 9.67 × 10^6 m^3/year.
• This recharge is equivalent to about 26.8% of the mean annual precipitation (4.3 mm).
• Nearly 80% of the total recharge is contributed by the two highest potential classes (excellent to very good, and very good to good).
• Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis, Receiver Operating Characteristic evaluation, and integration with geophysical and hydrochemical data confirmed the robustness and hydrogeological plausibility of the mapped recharge zones.

Contributions

• Developed and applied an integrated geospatial multi-criteria analysis methodology (AHP, RS, GIS) specifically tailored for enhancing groundwater recharge mapping in arid regions.
• Provided a detailed and validated spatial map of groundwater recharge potential zones for the Qift–El Quseir area, a data-scarce arid region.
• Quantified the basin-scale groundwater recharge for the study area, offering crucial data for water resource management.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of combining diverse geospatial, geophysical, and hydrochemical datasets for robust validation of recharge potential maps.
• Offers a practical and accurate tool to aid water resource planning and policymaking for sustainable groundwater management in arid environments.

Funding

The authors declare that no funds were received during the preparation of this manuscript.

Citation

@article{Saber2026Enhancing,
  author = {Saber, Mohamed and Dahri, Noura and Sumi, Tetsuya and Sefelnasr, Ahmed and Alshamsi, Dalal and Gad, Ahmed and Ali, Abdelhalim Mahmoud Ibrahim Mo and Ahmed, Alaa},
  title = {Enhancing groundwater recharge mapping in arid regions with geospatial multi-criteria analysis in the Eastern desert of Egypt},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-39134-x},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-39134-x}
}