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Vulnerability assessment of an agro-stressed aquifer using a source-pathway-receptor model in GIS

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Abstract

Agro-stresses on greater Punjab aquifer are rising because of unchecked growths of agriculture. Secondary salinity and pollution loads from non-point sources (NPS) are two environmental concerns of these growths. In order to assess the impacts of NPS pollution on underlying aquifer, a source-pathway-receptor model commonly refered to as DRASTIC is applied in a GIS environment. The model is applied by combining data sets that describe the depth to groundwater, recharge rates, aquifer material, soils composition, topography, vadose zone materials, and hydraulic conductivity. Resultant vulnerability values are scaled into three vulnerability zones based on DRASTIC Vulnerability Index as low, moderate and high vulnerability. A major portion of the study area about 1798 km squares (57.6%) fall under low vulnerability zone, while the porportions of the study area under moderate, and high vulnerabilities are 790 km2 (25.3%), and 551 km2 (17.6%), respectively. The vulnerability of Tehcil Kot Addu is related positively to the recharge rates and agricultural landuse. Results of this study can be used for sustainable agriculture in the study area and other regions having silmilar hydrogeological characteristics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil

    Yawar Hussain & Hernan E. Martinez-Carvajal

  2. Insitute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil

    Sadia F. Ullah

  3. College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

    Abdul Q. Aslam

  4. Department of Theoretical and Astrophysics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China

    Muhammad B. Hussain

  5. Department of Earth Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Gulraiz Akhter

  6. Faculty of Mines, National University of Colombia at Medellı́n, Medellı́n, Colombia

    Hernan E. Martinez-Carvajal

  7. Institute of Geosciences, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil

    Frédéric Satgé

  8. Climate Change, Alternate Energy and Water Resources Institute (CAEWRI), National Agricultural Research Center, Park road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Arshad Ashraf & Bilal Iqbal

  9. Engineering Faculty, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico

    Martin Cárdenas-Soto

Authors
  1. Yawar Hussain
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  2. Sadia F. Ullah
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  3. Abdul Q. Aslam
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  4. Muhammad B. Hussain
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  5. Gulraiz Akhter
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  6. Hernan E. Martinez-Carvajal
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  7. Frédéric Satgé
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  8. Arshad Ashraf
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  9. Bilal Iqbal
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  10. Martin Cárdenas-Soto
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Correspondence to Yawar Hussain.

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Hussain, Y., Ullah, S.F., Aslam, A.Q. et al. Vulnerability assessment of an agro-stressed aquifer using a source-pathway-receptor model in GIS. Model. Earth Syst. Environ. 3, 595–604 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-017-0320-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-017-0320-1

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