Analyzing the Efficacy: A Comparative Study Between the Conventional AHP Model and Fuzzy- AHP Model for Groundwater Potentiality Prediction in Basement Terrain Using Geophysical Data Sets

Abstract

This study integrates geophysical, geological, and remote sensing techniques to evaluate groundwater potential in the basement complex terrain of southwestern Nigeria, an area where sustainable groundwater development remains a critical challenge. To produce a comprehensive groundwater potential map, eight thematic layers known to influence groundwater occurrence and movement were derived from the available datasets. These include lithology, slope, recharge rate, lineament density, aquifer transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity, overburden thickness, and aquifer resistivity. Each parameter was carefully analyzed and weighted to reflect its relative significance in groundwater occurrence. The mapping process employed both the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and its advanced fuzzy-based extension (FAHP) to compare the performance of conventional and modified multi-criteria decision-making techniques. The integrated analysis delineated the study area into five distinct groundwater potential zones, namely very high, high, moderate, low, and very low. These classes provided a spatial framework for understanding the variability of groundwater occurrence across the region.