Integrating AHP and GIS for Sustainable Surface Water Planning: Identifying Vulnerability to Agricultural Diffuse Pollution in the Guachal River Watershed

Víctor Felipe Terán-Gómez, Ana María Buitrago-Ramírez, Andrés Fernando Echeverri-Sánchez, Apolinar Figueroa-Casas and Jhony Armando Benavides-Bolaños ()
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Víctor Felipe Terán-Gómez: Agro-Industrial By-Product Utilization Group (ASUBAGROIN), College of Agrarian Sciences, Universidad del Cauca, Street 5, No. 4-70, Popayán 190003, Colombia
Ana María Buitrago-Ramírez: Regional Autonomous Corporation of Valle del Cauca (CVC), Street 56, No. 11-36, Cali 760032, Colombia
Andrés Fernando Echeverri-Sánchez: School of Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering (EIDENAR), College of Engineering, Universidad del Valle, Street 13, No. 100-00, Cali 760032, Colombia
Apolinar Figueroa-Casas: Environmental Studies Research Group (GEA), Department of Biology, Universidad del Cauca, Street 5, No. 4-70, Popayán 190003, Colombia
Jhony Armando Benavides-Bolaños: School of Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering (EIDENAR), College of Engineering, Universidad del Valle, Street 13, No. 100-00, Cali 760032, Colombia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-30

Abstract: Diffuse agricultural pollution is a leading contributor to surface water degradation, particularly in regions undergoing rapid land use change and agricultural intensification. In many developing countries, conventional assessment approaches fall short of capturing the spatial complexity and cumulative nature of multiple environmental drivers that influence surface water vulnerability. This study addresses this gap by introducing the Integral Index of Vulnerability to Diffuse Contamination (IIVDC), a spatially explicit, multi-criteria framework that combines the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The IIVDC integrates six key indicators—slope, soil erodibility, land use, runoff potential, hydrological connectivity, and observed water quality—weighted through expert elicitation and mapped at high spatial resolution. The methodology was applied to the Guachal River watershed in Valle del Cauca, Colombia, where agricultural pressures are pronounced. Results indicate that 33.0% of the watershed exhibits high vulnerability and 4.3% very high vulnerability, with critical zones aligned with steep slopes, limited vegetation cover, and strong hydrological connectivity to cultivated areas. By accounting for both biophysical attributes and pollutant transport pathways, the IIVDC offers a replicable tool for prioritizing land management interventions. Beyond its technical application, the IIVDC contributes to sustainability by enabling evidence-based decision-making for water resource protection and land use planning. It supports integrated, spatially targeted actions that can reduce long-term contamination risks, guide sustainable agricultural practices, and improve institutional capacity for watershed governance. The approach is particularly suited for contexts where data are limited but spatial planning is essential. Future refinement should consider dynamic water quality monitoring and validation across contrasting hydro-climatic regions to enhance transferability.

Keywords: integrated water resources management; water conservation; agricultural watershed; non-point source water pollution; landscape connectivity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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