International Journal of Environment and Climate Change

Groundwater management in the Agboville department requires identification of areas that are favourable to aquifer recharge. The objective of this study was to identify potential aquifer recharge zones in the Agboville department to improve water-resource management and support sustainable development. Mapping these zones involved identifying six parameters (land use, soil types, weathering layer thickness, slope, induced permeability, and drainage density) that influence recharge and preparing a thematic map for each parameter. The parameters were then weighted according to their relative importance in the recharge process using Saaty's Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The thematic maps were subsequently combined within a GIS to produce a map of potential aquifer recharge zones for the department. Five recharge-suitability classes were identified: poor (4%), marginal (17%), moderate (28%), good (31%), and very good (19%). The map indicates that favourable recharge zones (moderate, good, and very good) occupy 78% of the study area and occur across almost the entire department. These zones are generally characterised by gentle slopes (<5%), low drainage density (<1.52 km/km²), and a weathering-layer thickness of 3-30 m, which favour infiltration. Conversely, low-recharge zones cover 21% of the department's surface area and are located primarily in urban areas and along watercourses. Land use was identified as the predominant factor influencing recharge in this crystalline-basement zone. The map may therefore serve as a decision-support tool for departmental planning and groundwater-protection activities.