Integration of ELECTRE III and AHP—Multicriteria Decision Analysis for Identification of Suitable Areas for Artificial Recharge with Reclaimed Water

The present study represents a coupling between the geographic information system (GIS) and the multicriteria analysis, leading to the selection of an artificial recharge site with reclaimed water for the Ariana Governorate, Tunisia. Based on the regional characteristics, bibliography, and available data on artificial recharge, 13 constraints and 5 factors were hierarchically structured for the adequacy of artificial recharge. The factors are subdivided into two main groups: environmental factors and economic factors. The adopted methodology allows a preliminary assessment of a recharge site, by combining the weighted linear combination (WLC) and the Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) in a GIS. The results of this study show three potential candidate sites that are based on environmental factors, which in turn are more important than the economic factors. These sites are ranked in descending order using the ELECTRE III method.