THE VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS OF A MOUNTAIN RIVER ECOSYSTEM ASSOCIATED TO ANTHROPIC ACTIVITIES, IN A TOURISTIC AREA IN ROMANIA

Abstract

The population and economy growth in the past years, and subsequently the increased demand for freshwater, led to an increased pressure on water resources. The quality of surface water is affected by anthropogenic factors, such as: domestic sewage, industrial activities, agricultural activities, recreational activities, land use change, urbanization. Therefore, the impact on surface water vulnerability is higher in large urban areas or in urban areas with intense touristic activities. The analysis of water vulnerability in such areas is important in order to develop sustainable water resources management strategies. In this paper, a vulnerability assessment index was developed in order to analyze the surface water vulnerability on a section of Prahova River (from source to Breaza city). The urban areas located in this section of the river are characterized by intense touristic activities, with a large influx of people. The vulnerability index was developed using GIS tools and analyzing specific indicators such as: different types of land use and in particular urban areas, length of the roads in the study area, resident population, influx of tourists, animals, slope and sinuosity of the river. The river was divided into sectors and a vulnerability index was calculated for each sector. Moreover, a comparison analysis was done, considering a second scenario for the year 2020 in which the number of tourists was highly reduced, in order to investigate the impact of this indicator on the water vulnerability. The results, represented by the vulnerability map showed that the most vulnerable sectors of the river are situated in proximity to urban areas and furthermore, the touristic activities increase the impact on surface water resources.