Assessing the impacts of climate change on groundwater potential zones

Abstract

The world's population is expected to rise over the next fifty to sixty years, peaking at 10.3 billion in the mid-2080s from 8.2 billion in 2024. Groundwater is a key component of sustainable development, but it is being jeopardised by the monstrosity that is climate change. This research aimed to determine the effects of climate change on groundwater potential zones in Agago District for 1992 to 2020 through Analytical Hierarchy Process(AHP), GIS and remotely sensed data. Landsat and Sentinel satellite remotely sensed data were utilised to study Land use/Land cover change. The projections for groundwater potential zones in 2030 and 2040 were conducted using QGIS MOLUSCE. The results indicated a 13.18% decrease in areas of good potential between 2000 and 2020 and a 13.18% increase in fair potential zones. These changes were attributed to variations in land use and land cover (LULC), as well as alterations in rainfall patterns. The results of this study are critical for creating climate-resistant water resource management strategies and, consequently, for the lasting preservation of groundwater in this area.