Contribution of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System to Identify Potential Areas of Groundwater in the Department of M'Bahiakro (Central-East of Côte d'Ivoire)

This study concerns an area located at central-east of Côte d'Ivoire and constituted by fractured crystalline and metamorphic rocks. In this area, problems of drinking water supply exist because of overpopulation and lack of knowledges about groundwater prospection. This study aims to highlight hydrogeological potentiality areas where drilling can provide a large discharge. Database is constituted by technical data from drillings and satellite images of Landsat ETM+. Remote sensing tools, multi-criteria analysis and geographic information systems (GIS) are used in this study. The results indicate that water resources are available in this area. GIS enabled to elaborate thematic maps of groundwater. Indeed, more than 80% of studied area has good to excellent availability of groundwater. Poor and bad groundwaters potentiality classes respectively cover 14 and 6% of the studied area. These resources are well exploited over 78% of the territory with good and excellent exploitability of groundwater resources. However, these resources are not easy to be reached because 67% of the territory presents difficult accessibility. Results of this study constitute an important element that must be considered for hydrogeological prospection.