Assessment of Groundwater Suitability and Irrigation Potential in the Awash River Basin, Ethiopia

Groundwater offers significant opportunities for expanding irrigation and improving agricultural productivity in water-scarce regions. This study assessed groundwater suitability and groundwater-supported irrigation potential in the Awash River Basin, Ethiopia, using an integrated Geographic Information System (GIS) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Ten factors were integrated through weighted overlay analysis. The AHP consistency ratio was 0.07, confirming reliable factor weighting, while groundwater depth, geology, and borehole yield were the dominant factors, collectively contributing 57% of the total weight. At the adopted 85% suitability threshold, 3873 km2 (3.5%) of the basin was identified as highly suitable for groundwater-based irrigation. Validation using 185 existing well’s locations showed that 61.6% occurred within the mapped suitable areas. The mean seasonal net irrigation requirement within suitable areas was 1040 mm, corresponding to an estimated seasonal irrigation demand of 4028 mm3. Groundwater irrigation potential (IPG) ranged from approximately 1% to 18%, with no highly suitable area exceeding 1.0 (100%), indicating that identified potential groundwater yield alone could not meet the full seasonal irrigation demand under the adopted scenario. The results identify priority areas for groundwater-based irrigation to support irrigation planning and climate-resilient agricultural development in the Awash River Basin.