This research article published by MDPI, 2020
This study attempted to delineate and map potential groundwater recharge zones of the
Singida, semi-arid, fractured crystalline basement aquifer using open source remote sensing and
GIS software. Various thematic maps such as lithology/hydrogeology, soil, land-cover/use, slope,
lineament density, drainage density and rainfall distribution were integrated in QGIS software. Vector
input layers were rasterized and resampled using QGIS wrap projection function to make sure that
the grid cells are of the same size. Reclassification using SAGA and GRASS reclass algorithms in
QGIS was carried out to realign the factor classes in a consistent scale, and reclassification to a scale
of 1 to 5 was carried out to harmonize the results. The study identified a number of potential areas
for groundwater recharge, groundwater exploration, groundwater development and potential areas
for artificial groundwater recharge. Potential groundwater recharge zones for the Singida semi-arid
fractured aquifer are restricted to areas with high lineament density, cultivated areas, grassland
and flat to gentle slopes. The potential of groundwater recharge is also observed in areas with low
drainage density. The delineated zones provide a good understanding of the potential recharge zones,
which are a starting point for recharge zone protection. This blended approach can be utilized for
carrying out suitability analysis using the weighted overlay analysis approach. Areas designated
good and very good are recommended for artificial recharging structures as an alternative technique
for enhancing groundwater recharge through rainwater harvesting. This will help to augment
groundwater storage in this semi-arid environment.