Advancing SDGs: Predicting Future Shifts in Saudi Arabia’s Terrestrial Water Storage Using Multi-Step-Ahead Machine Learning Based on GRACE Data

The availability of water is crucial for the growth and sustainability of human development. The effective management of water resources is essential due to their renewable nature and their critical role in ensuring food security and water safety. In this study, the multi-step-ahead modeling approach of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) terrestrial water storage (TWS) was utilized to gain insights into and forecast the fluctuations in water resources within Saudi Arabia. This study was conducted using mascon solutions obtained from the University of Texas Center for Space Research (UT-CSR) over the period of 2007 to 2017. The data were used in the development of artificial intelligence models, namely, an Elman neural network (ENN), a backpropagation neural network (BPNN), and kernel support vector regression (k-SVR). These models were constructed using various input variables, such as t-12, t-24, t-36, t-48, and TWS, with the output variable being the focus. A simple and weighted average ensemble was introduced to improve the accuracy of marginal and weak predictive results. The performance of the models was assessed with the use of several evaluation metrics, including mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), correlation coefficient (CC), and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE). The results of the estimate indicate that k-SVR-M1 (NSE = 0.993, MAE = 0.0346) produced favorable outcomes, whereas ENN-M3 (NSE = 0.6586, MAE = 0.6895) emerged as the second most effective model. The combinations of all other models exhibited accuracies ranging from excellent to marginal, rendering them unreliable for decision-making purposes. Error ensemble methods improved the standalone model and proved merit. The results also serve as an important tool for monitoring changes in global water resources, aiding in drought management, and understanding the Earth’s water cycle.