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Publication
DRASTICAI: a new index for groundwater vulnerability assessment:a portuguese case study
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Groundwater vulnerability assessment has become a useful tool for groundwater
pollution prevention. Groundwater vulnerability maps provide useful data for protecting
groundwater resources. Identification of agricultural patterns is an important issue for optimized
land management. The watershed of the Tagus River is the backbone of this study. Naturtejo
UNESCO Global Geopark, in the central interior of Portugal, corresponds to a rural area. Intensive
agricultural practices showed an increasing trend in the last decades. The method that is most used
internationally to assess vulnerability is the DRASTIC index. In this study, the DRASTICAI index
is introduced. A new attribute—anthropogenic influence—is added here. Five levels of increasing
vulnerability, from low to high, can be recognized here. The municipality of Idanha-a-Nova is most
affected by intensive agricultural activities, showing spatial patterns of DRASTICAI with a clear
influence of anthropogenic activities, with high needs for groundwater abstraction. A robust
assessment of groundwater quality has a key role. Climate change scenarios and water scarcity are
important issues in the coming years, and particularly in the studied area. Therefore, optimized
groundwater management is essential to consider in policy-making strategies.
Description
Keywords
Naturtejo Geopark groundwater vulnerability DRASTIC DRASTICAI GIS
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Albuquerque T, Roque N, Rodrigues J, Antunes M, Silva C. DRASTICAI, a New Index for Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment—A Portuguese Case Study. Geosciences. 2021; 11(6):228. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11060228
Publisher
MDPI