Intrinsic Vulnerability Index Research Articles

Unpacking the invisible complex realities: intersections of gender and marital status in determining the intrinsic vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change in Northwestern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Studies in Ethiopia have shown how climate-induced impacts are experienced differently by male and female farmers, with women being generally more vulnerable. Yet, less is known about how vulnerability to climate-induced risks differs between men and women of different marital statuses Therefore, we applied an intersectionality framework to examine how the level of intrinsic vulnerability is mediated through gender and marital status. Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CAPCA) was used to construct a household heads’ intrinsic vulnerability index. Drawing on a systematic random sample of 1602 respondents and based on logistic regression analysis, the study shows that, while a man’s marital status is a less important factor in determining his level of vulnerability to climate change, it is a key factor in the case of women. Compared to other women, female divorcees and widows are highly likely to be vulnerable to climate change in northwestern parts of Ethiopia. Integrating information about marital relationships, especially the neglected widows and divorcees into the design of interventions may help to better target potential beneficiaries among smallholder farming communities. Our study makes a unique contribution to the intersectionality literature in understanding the diversified experiences of vulnerable rural communities which are susceptible to climate-induced shocks.

An intrinsic vulnerability approach to assess an overburden alluvial aquifer exposure to sinkhole-prone area; results from a Central Iran case study

DRASTIC is a model used to reliably assess the pollution potential of aquifers at global location. Despite various criticisms of this model or its optimization, sometimes the territorial or geological conditions still must rely on this model approach based on its simplicity. The existence of sinkholes in the alluvial aquifer with an underlying karst aquifer is a clear example of the need to change or optimize the DRASTIC model to improve accuracy of prediction. In this study, the DRASTIC model was changed by adding two factors, the distance to a sinkhole and the sinkhole catchment factors. The modified DRASTIC model was then used to evaluate the pollution potential of Abarkouh aquifer in Yazd province, Central Iran. The intrinsic vulnerability index of Abarkouh aquifer was calculated by the weighted sum method in GIS. The resulting numerical values ranged between 62 and 176 for full study area. Without adding the two layers related to Sin-DRASTIC, the generic DRASTIC Index map showed summed values ranging between 54 and 130. The final Sin-DRASTIC map was divided it into 4 orders very low (<106; 722 km2, 78%), low (107-133; 186 km2, 20%), low to moderate (133-160; 15.3 km2, 1.7%), and moderate vulnerability (161-176; 1.7 km2, 0.3%) vulnerability. Both of the created maps showed high Area Under the Curve values at 76% and 78% for the generic DRASTIC and Sin-DRASTIC respectively. However, the area of the aquifer containing the sinkholes showed low and very low zones of contamination vulnerability on the generic DRASTIC map. The sensitivity analysis showed that the aquifer vulnerability to pollution is mainly controlled by the vadose zone impacts and the sinkhole catchment factor. Therefore, it is concluded that for geologic settings containing sinkholes that are open or contain higher vertical hydraulic conductivity sediment compared to the general matrix of the unconfined aquifer, the Sin-DRASTIC model method yields a superior prediction.

Assessing climate change vulnerability of smallholder farmers in northwest Ethiopia: application of a household intrinsic vulnerability index

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify the most vulnerable households and districts in Northwest Ethiopia and help decision-makers in developing and prioritising effective adaptive strategies and actions.Design/methodology/approachA multi-scale analytical tool and hazard-generic socio-economic indicators were developed to identify and prioritise the most vulnerable households and districts in Northwest Ethiopia. Categorical principal component analysis with 36 indicators was used to develop weights for different indicators and construct a household intrinsic vulnerability index. Data were collected through key information interviews, focus group discussions and a household survey with 1,602 randomly selected households in three districts of Northwest Ethiopia.FindingsDrawing on intrinsic vulnerability index computation, this study highlights that low levels of education, low access to climate information and credit services, long distance travelled to fetch water and frequent food shortages are the dominant factors contributing to high levels of intrinsic vulnerability at district level, while lack of livelihood support and income diversification are the key drivers of vulnerability at household level. The findings of this study further show that the majority of households (78.01%) falls within the very high to moderately high vulnerable category. Disaggregating the data according to agro-climatic zones highlights that the prevalence of high intrinsic vulnerability is most widespread in the lowland agro-climatic zone (82.64%), followed by the highland (81.97%) and midland zones (69.40%).Practical implicationsFrom a policy intervention vantage point, addressing the drivers of vulnerability provides a reliable approach to reduce the current vulnerability level and manage potential climate change-induced risks of a system. Specifically, reliable information on inherent vulnerability will assist policymakers in developing policies and prioritising actions aimed at reducing vulnerability and assisting in the rational distribution of resources among households at a local level.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing vulnerability literature by showing how hazard-generic socio-economic indicators in the vulnerability assessment adopted by the IPCC (2014) are important to identify drives of vulnerability which ultimately may feed into a more fundamental treatment of vulnerability.

Groundwater vulnerability assessment in Randublatung groundwater basin using SINTACS-LU model

Randublatung groundwater basin is one of the crucial areas in Central Java that involves agricultural activities, which rely on groundwater sources. Agricultural activities have impacted the declining groundwater excellent of the Randublatung groundwater basin. The groundwater exploration was executed from an unconfined shallow aquifer that is in particular composed of alluvial deposits. Therefore, vulnerability evaluation to delineate regions most vulnerable to contamination from anthropogenic resources has come to be essential for sensible useful resource management and land use planning. This study estimates groundwater vulnerability by applying the SINTACS-LU model, which uses eight parameters to assess groundwater vulnerability and the geographical information system (GIS) in the Randublatung groundwater basin. The final subject level of SINTACS-LU (intrinsic vulnerability index) was created by multiplying the sum of each evaluation parameter by its specific weight. The resultant SINTACS-LU vulnerability map of the study area indicates that the areas most likely to be contaminated are between Kradenan and Keduntuban districts. Elsewhere, Rather high to high SINTACS-LU index values were observed, indicating areas of high vulnerability potential.

Integrating Intrinsic and Eccentric Seismic Vulnerability Indices to Prioritize Road Network Accessibility

The main aim of this article is to shed light on the establishment of more resilient road networks, which can operate and interact regularly with the surrounding complex-built environment systems during various natural hazards such as earthquakes. This study is integrating engineering judgment and numerical methods to create a comprehensive evaluation for assessing the accessibility rates for road networks. Moreover, it is validating the significance of integrated seismic assessment on various critical sectors in society, such as improving emergency accessibility and adapting improved mitigation strategies for communities that live in disaster-prone districts. In this respect, this article investigates the seismic vulnerability assessment results, aiming at underpinning the understanding of road network risks by discussing the main results of the calculated probability of damage for various parameters of the roadway and its assets. A comparative study is performed to study the effect of spatially variable ground motions at different damage states for the main investigated four parameters. These extracted comparative results are used for weighting the main parameters to calculate the intrinsic seismic vulnerability index scores. Furthermore, the eccentric seismic vulnerability index is calculated, by following different steps such as assessing the calculated debris width resulting from the collapsed buildings and extracting the accessibility rates through concluding the effective width values. Subsequently, the variation between the accessibility rates is investigated and the integrated seismic risk assessment for a road system is developed with a focus on the integration between asset damage and functionality by generating integrated heat maps that take into consideration the correlation between all the developed vulnerability indices.

Vulnerability mapping of the Paravanar sub-basin aquifer (Tamil Nadu, India) in SINTACS model for efficient land use planning.

Consideration of groundwater vulnerability as a planning parameter is imperative in the current context of depleting groundwater resources for the efficient land use planning. This study aims for groundwater vulnerability assessment by modifying SINTACS model and involve dynamics of land use change in a case study of Paravanar sub-basin in the Tamil Nadu state of south India. Thematic maps of land use generated from remote sensing data and associated field investigations were the input for the SINTACS model. These maps integrated in GIS helped to derive intrinsic vulnerability into very low, low, medium and high vulnerability categories. The strongest correlation (r=0.74) between intrinsic vulnerability index and the water quality index, estimated from field observations, suggested better efficiency of this model compared to the conventional SINTACS index. Application of the modified SINTACS led to the conclusion that 12.2%, 28.7%, 45.9%, and 13.1% of the study area categorized very low vulnerability, low vulnerability, moderate vulnerability and high vulnerability, respectively and should be considered for efficient land use planning.

Development of Intrinsic Seismic Vulnerability Index (ISVI) for assessing roadway system and its assets framework

Roadway systems and their assets are the backbone of the transport sector and are vital for social and economic prosperity. Hence, it is important to design and develop transportation networks that can withstand natural hazards such as earthquakes. In recent decades, research concerning disaster risk management for roadway systems has received a lot of attention, particularly via the use of seismic vulnerability assessment methods. The majority of those models focus on a single criterion e.g., physical degradation of road assets, traffic disturbance, and/or functionality loss of the network, rather than considering how different criteria interact, such as association between asset damage, functionality, and network traffic. The main purpose of this study is to provide an integrated methodology for evaluating the seismic vulnerability of road networks to inform decision-making for risk mitigation. The proposed framework correlates the Intrinsic Seismic Vulnerability Index (ISVI) scores with the variation of accessibility rates to critical service centers. The methodology is demonstrated through an application to a part of a road network for specific seismic scenarios. The ISVI quantifies the impact caused by a parameter's physical performance on the road behaviour using Non-Linear Dynamic Analysis (NLDA) technique, which can reduce or limit the role of the studies that are based on expert opinion decisions. The validated results shows that the embankment height is considered the most effective parameter in the physical assessment approach, followed by the number of lanes, while the soil type and pavement strength are the least effective parameters with a better effectiveness for soil type compared to pavement strength. Additionally, the integration between the physical assessment approach and the analysed accessibility rates is clearly showing compatibility between the vulnerability and accessibility approach, demonstrating more precise assessment tool by considering the correlation between the vulnerability rates and the reduced accessibility levels. The proposed approach can assist infrastructure owners and operators to reduce risk and boost emergency accessibility.• Conducting ISVI for roadway and its assets based on physical damage approach.• Assessing road networks accessibility rates by introducing an accessibility index (AI) using different geographical aspects.• Formulating an integrated model between physical damage and traffic accessibility through building transport performance maps.

Spatial variation of groundwater vulnerability to nitrate pollution under excessive fertilization using index overlay method in central Tunisia (Sidi Bouzid basin)*

AbstractOne of the major challenges in assessing groundwater vulnerability to pollution is the inadequate factors number and weight. Therefore, to carefully improve the assessment of groundwater vulnerability, a model independent of weight assignment errors was used. Moreover, the specific vulnerability index (SVI) of Sidi Bouzid North's groundwater was assessed in this study. Intrinsic vulnerability index (IVI) assessment was determined in the first step by the arithmetic mean calculation by the index overlay method (IOM) based on the D: Depth of aquifer; P: annual average Precipitation; L: Lithology of the vadose zone and S: percent of Slope (DPLS) model. Then SVI was assessed by linking new factors (LU and NO3−) to IVI. Consequently, 83 samples were analysed for NO3−, showing high values that exceed 50 mg l‾¹. The spatial distribution of IVI shows three vulnerability classes in the study area, namely low (8%), moderate (15%) and high (77%). The evaluation of SVI based on the risks associated with the NO3− and LU factors using GIS indicates that about 95% of the total study area is classified with high SVI levels. It displayed a good correlation with NO3− and provided a high discretization of the groundwater risk from natural and anthropogenic pollution. This alarming situation suggests the necessity to apply water‐saving irrigation action for adequate water management.

Irrigation Water Susceptibility Indexing Method, Using Pesticide DRASTIC and Water Quality Index, for Basara Basin; Kurdistan Region-Iraq

The increasing use of chemical fertilizers, with spreading industrial and urbanization activities in the whole area of the Basara basin expected to affect the quantity and quality of water from these sources of pollutants. The main aim of this research revolves around the integration of the intrinsic vulnerability Index (VI) through applying the pesticide DRASTIC method, with the irrigation quality index, to assess the irrigation susceptibility Index (SI) for the basin. The quality of groundwater for its suitability for irrigation purposes was measured by its hydro-chemical parameters in this research. Thirty-one water samples were collected in the studied area during the post-monsoon period of the year 2018. Samples have been tested for both physical and chemical parameters. The Geographic Information System (GIS) has been used for this assessment. The results indicate that water movement directions of streams, the geological formation of aquifers, land slope, and contamination sources have a great impact on water quality, vulnerability, and susceptibility index. The pesticide DRASTIC map categorizes the basin into five classes as (very low, low, moderate, high, and very high). Results show that the most vulnerable area to pollution is those that used for intensive agricultural and industrial sectors, besides the areas with high permeability and lands with minimum surface slopes which are intensively used as cultivated areas. The results indicate that the incorporation of both hydrogeological and hydro-chemical datasets enables more realistic evaluations than those of an individual dataset to estimate the groundwater contamination susceptibility of an aquifer. This work offers the decision-makers a clear photo of the quality of irrigation water and the area most vulnerable to contamination. This will be used as the basis for future research to mitigate the effects of vulnerable areas and to establish a new groundwater management strategy in the basin.

RIVA: a new proposed method for assessing intrinsic groundwater vulnerability.

A novel index-based method (RIVA) for the assessment of intrinsic groundwater vulnerability is proposed, based on the successful concept of the European approach (Zwahlen 2003) and by incorporating additional elements that provide more realistic and representative results. Its concept includes four main factors: accounting for the recharge to the system (R), the infiltration conditions (I), the protection offered by the vadose zone (V), and the aquifer characteristics (A). Several sub-factors and parameters are involved in calculation of the final intrinsic vulnerability index. However, even though RIVA is a comprehensive method that produces reliable results, it is not data intensive, does not require advanced skills in data preparation and processing, and may safely be applied regardless of aquifer type, prevalent porosity, geometric and geo-tectonic setup, and site-specific conditions. Its development has incorporated careful consideration of all key existing groundwater vulnerability methods and their critical aspects (factors, parameters, rating, etc.). It has studied and endorsed their virtues while avoiding or modifying factors and approaches that are either difficult to quantify, ambiguous to assess, or non-uniformly applicable to every hydrogeological setup. RIVA has been successfully demonstrated in the intensively cultivated area of Kopaida plain, Central Greece, which is characterized by a complex and heterogeneous geological background. Its validation was performed by a joint compilation of ground-truth monitoring-based data, in-depth knowledge of the geological structure, hydrogeological setup, regional hydrodynamic evolution mechanisms, and also by the dominant driving pressures. Results of the performed validation clearly demonstrated the validity of the proposed methodology to capture the spatially distributed zones of different vulnerability classes accurately and reliably, as these are shaped by the considered factors. RIVA method proved that it may be safely considered to be a fair trade-off between succeeded accuracy, and data intensity and investment to reach highly accurate results. As such, it is envisaged to become an efficient method of performing reliable groundwater vulnerability assessments of complex environments when neither resources occur nor time to generate intensive data is available, and ultimately be valorized for further risk assessment and decision-making processes related to groundwater resource management.

First assessment of the spearfishing impact in the Canary Islands

An onsite survey was conducted between June and December 2017 to characterize​ recreational spearfishing in the Canary Islands. This activity takes place throughout the entire year with higher catches in the summer and autumn months. The total estimated effort in 2017 was 658,798 fishing journeys; 34.5% of these journeys had no captures. The average catch per fisherman was 0.654 kg/h. It has been estimated that recreational spearfishing lands were approximately 480.8 t per year throughout the entire archipelago (not including non-resident fishermen). The discards were less than 10%, but in several cases they exceeded 25%. Fishermen make an average initial investment of €484.4 in fishing equipment and have an average annual expenditure of €245.14 for travel, maintenance, equipment replacement, insurance and a fishing license. In 2017, spearfishing mobilized €9.9 million only on travel and subsistence. The majority of fishermen estimate that 78.3% of the fishing areas that they visit are moderately degraded or highly degraded and that fishing resources have decreased by 25%–60% or more since they began to participate in this activity. They also indicated that the abundance and the average length of the target species increases with depth. It is noteworthy that 66.7% of the main target species have a high or very high intrinsic vulnerability index. However, spearfishermen do not assume responsibility for the possible deterioration of the permitted underwater fishing areas, and further evaluation is needed to assess the impact of all fishing activities conducted in these areas.

Quantitative assessment of groundwater pollution risk in reclaimed water irrigation areas of northern China

The application of reclaimed water for agricultural irrigation can effectively reduce the use of freshwater resources including groundwater, addressing the increasingly severe challenge of water shortage. However, reclaimed water irrigation will cause potential pollution risks to groundwater, which needs to be further studied to ensure the safety of reclaimed water irrigation. An integrated quantitative assessment system including the modified DRASTIC model was developed to evaluate the pollution risks caused by reclaimed water irrigation and scientific strategies were offered for the development of reclaimed water irrigation in water shortage areas to avoid groundwater pollution. The groundwater intrinsic vulnerability index, the hazards of the characteristic pollutants, and the groundwater values were quantified to obtain the pollution risks distribution map. In the Beijing plain of north China, the low groundwater pollution risk areas were located in the midstream of Chaobai river baisin, Beiyun river basin, and Yongding river basin, accounting for 48.3% of the total study area. These areas in low pollution risk can be considered as safety areas for reclaimed water irrigation. The moderate groundwater pollution risk areas accounting for 46.9% of the total study area were suggested to apply water-saving irrigation measures for preventing groundwater pollution. The reclaimed water irrigation should be prohibited in the high groundwater pollution risk areas, which accounted for 4.8% of the total study area. This study highlights the reasonable strategy for the development of reclaimed water irrigation in water shortage areas and lay a foundation for finding alternative water sources for agricultural irrigation.

Reference levels of ecosystem indicators at multispecies maximum sustainable yield

Abstract We investigate reference points for ecosystem indicators in support of an Ecosystem Approach to Fishery. In particular, we assess indicator capacity to detect when the Multispecies Maximum Sustainable Yield (MMSY) is reached, under a wide range of multispecies fishing strategies. The analysis was carried out using a simulation approach based on the ecosystem model OSMOSE in the southern Benguela. We show that the 13 ecosystem indicators have reference points at MMSY that are highly variable across fishing strategies. The state of the ecosystem at MMSY is so variable across fishing strategies that it is not possible to set reference points without considering the fishing strategy. However, strategy-specific reference points were found to constitute robust proxies for MMSY in more than 90% of the simulated fishing strategies. For instance, under the current fishing strategy in the southern Benguela, robust reference points at MMSY could be identified for the following indicators: mean length of fish, mean lifespan, biomass over catch ratio, trophic level of the surveys, mean trophic index, proportion of predatory fish, intrinsic vulnerability index, and mean maximum length.

Recreational and small-scale fisheries may pose a threat to vulnerable species in coastal and offshore waters of the western Mediterranean

Abstract This study evaluates the fishing pressure exerted by the most common recreational and professional, small-scale fishing practices on vulnerable target and bycatch species in coastal and offshore waters of the western Mediterranean. By combining multiple data sources, we assembled a unique dataset on catches at multiple sites in these areas by recreational (RF) and small-scale fisheries (SSF), covering the period from 1997 to 2015. Furthermore, a framework with which to identify the vulnerable species among all the species caught is provided; it is based on the IUCN Red List, international conventions for the protection of flora and fauna, the Habitats Directive and the intrinsic vulnerability index of marine fish. Overall, about a quarter of exploited species targeted by SSF and RF in coastal waters were vulnerable, making up nearly 50% of the total SSF catch and nearly 20% of the total recreational catch. In offshore waters, 100% of the RF and SSF catch was made up of vulnerable species. Among the species caught as bycatch in both areas by SSF and RF, there was a total of 27 vulnerable vertebrate species, which included birds, cetaceans, elasmobranchs and sea turtles. Our results highlight the need to differentiate between different fishing methods or gears when studying the fishing impacts on vulnerable species. The results also indicate that, although RF and SSF are often considered to have a relatively low ecological impact, a range of different fishing methods are affecting vulnerable species in coastal or offshore waters in the western Mediterranean Sea, be they targeted or taken unintentionally as bycatch.

Evaluating the specificity of ecosystem indicators to fishing in a changing environment: A model comparison study for the southern Benguela ecosystem

Ecological indicators used to monitor fishing effects in the context of climate change and variability need to be informative to enable effective ecosystem-based fisheries management. We evaluated the specificity of the response of ecosystem indicators to different fishing and environmental pressure levels using Ecosim and Atlantis ecosystem models for the southern Benguela ecosystem. Three fishing strategies were modelled to represent a variety of ways of targeting fishing within an ecosystem: one focused on low trophic levels (i.e. forage species), another on higher trophic levels (i.e. predatory fish) and a third tested fishing pressure across the full range of potentially exploitable species. Two types of environmental change were simulated for each fishing mortality scenario – random environmental variability and directional climate change. The specificity of selected ecological indicators (mean trophic level of the community, proportion of predatory fish, biomass/landings, mean intrinsic vulnerability and marine trophic index) was evaluated for different combinations of fishing strategy, fishing mortality and both types of environmental change. While there were mostly large differences in indicator values computed from the Atlantis and Ecosim models, the specificity of the ecological indicators considered under changing climate generally corresponded between the two models. Certain indicators (i.e. mean trophic level of the community) were less specific in detecting effects of fishing in the southern Benguela for some of the three fishing strategies modelled (i.e. high trophic level fishing strategy) under climate change. This helped refine the most appropriate indicator set for our system, reflecting the focus of a particular fishing strategy, and improved confidence in the suitability of these indicators for monitoring fishing effects in the Southern Benguela.

Experience counts: Integrating spearfishers’ skills and knowledge in the evaluation of biological and ecological impacts

AbstractFishing experience and skills are not commonly considered in recreational fishery studies. To analyse potential different biological/ecological impacts of three experience levels of spearfishers (novice, intermediate and experienced), access point surveys were conducted over a period of 10 months in São Miguel Island (Azores archipelago). Groups differed in terms of catch rate and composition, species size and vulnerability (i.e. intrinsic vulnerability index of fishes to fishing). Experienced spearfishers explored different areas along the island coast, fished deeper and farther off shore, were more selective regarding fish size and target species, reached higher catch weights and had catches with a higher mean index of vulnerability. Results suggest that catch composition and rate not only depend on fish community and ecosystem health, but also on the expertise of the fishers who operate in a given area. Consequently, scientific studies should consider fishers’ experience in the survey design and data analysis to not over‐ or underestimate their potential impact.

Mapping global vulnerability index in mining sectors: A case study Moulares-Redayef aquifer system, southwestern Tunisia

Contrary to the DRASTIC model grouping together the saturated and unsaturated zones to compute a global intrinsic vulnerability index, the global vulnerability index method incorporates both hydrogeological and hydrochemical data for a comprehensive index mapping for the saturated zones. This concept depends on the behavior and the uses of the groundwater. The main aim of this study is to propose a scientific basis for sustainable land use planning and groundwater management of the Moulares-Reayef aquifer, located in Southwestern Tunisia. The overexploitation of this aquifer causes the threat of groundwater quality by various sources of pollution. The global vulnerability index was applied in the Moulares-Reayef aquifer. The results show that the most favorable zones to pollutant percolation are situated along the wadis (Tabaddit, Zallaz, Berka, …) which are drained by continuous discharges. The global vulnerability values were correlated with nitrates values for validation. It revealed a significant correlation showing that high values of nitrates occurred in highly vulnerable zones with a value of 0.69 for the Pearson coefficient. The global vulnerability evaluation shows that the aquifer is characterized by high vertical vulnerability and high susceptibility.

Habitat ecological integrity and environmental impact assessment of anthropic activities: A GIS-based fuzzy logic model for sites of high biodiversity conservation interest

In literature, an effective method enabling the classification, based on a single indicator, of habitats that need a priority protection intervention has not been identified yet. Moreover, the excessive number of landscape metrics, used to quantify integrity of habitats, can cause confusion, often providing redundant and inconsistent results.The aim of this work is to develop a method for evaluating the ecological vulnerability of the habitats in sites of high biodiversity conservation interest. In the first phase, we selected and analyzed, by using principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy logic, the landscape metrics, in order to obtain the map of the intrinsic ecological vulnerability index. In the second step, the result of this intrinsic vulnerability was connected, through another fuzzy model, to anthropogenic impacts, obtaining the integrated ecological vulnerability index. We developed specific spatial indicators (landscape metrics), which can examine the mutual position and morphology of the habitats present, along with indicators of human pressure, related to the type and intensity of use of the anthropic territory, with reference to the habitat itself as well as to the areas immediately adjacent. The developed fuzzy models are innovative, compared to the current ecological studies, and examine landscape metrics as well as the impact of human activities.The case study is the “Val Basento-Ferrandina Scalo” Site of Community Importance, Ferrandina-SCI (Basilicata Region, Southern Italy). The results allowed us to build a rank of the habitats based on their intrinsic and integrated ecological vulnerability. Moreover, the results show that, in the Ferrandina-SCI, the most important source of concern is not human activities, but rather the inherent risk of ecological fragility caused by geographical and landscape features of the different patches of habitats themselves.This model aims to be a tool for decision support in sustainable landscape management. It is easy to use and to apply on other regions, although it should always be accompanied by a sensitivity analysis to reduce the subjectivity.

O Uso da Geoestatística na Avaliação dos Parâmetros Hidrogeológicos para Compor o Mapa de Vulnerabilidade Intrínseca de Aquíferos

The aim of this study is to perform a geostatistical estimation of hydrogeological parameters to compose the intrinsic vulnerability map for an aquifer. The study presents an exploratory analysis of well data extracted from the Groundwater Information System (SIAGAS), which refer to parameters such as degree of confining, lithology and static level. Therefore, initially, among other procedures, we look for inconsistent data, we produce descriptive statistics and we also apply a normality test to the dataset. The following steps were to make up the primary space description of the respective parameters based on the corresponding identified patterns, randomness and grouping of well data in addition to exploring the existence of a tendency along certain directions. After the preliminary steps, the geostatistical methodology is then applied divided into three phases. The first refers to the variogram study, characterized by the construction of the experimental variograms. In the second phase, automatic adjustment is made to these variograms for three mathematical models: spherical, exponential and gaussian. Then, by cross validation, the performance is estimated for the different models adjusted using statistical indicators. After validation of these models, the last phase takes place, in which we perform the geostatistical estimation by kriging. The estimated values of hydrogeological parameters, when jointly multiplied, composes the estimation of the intrinsic vulnerability index illustrated in the form of a map. This proposal was applied in an area partially covering the city of Belem. The results showed that the methodological approach represents an excellent planning and management tool for the protection of groundwater aquifers.

Evaluación de la vulnerabilidad del recurso hídrico subterráneo del municipio de Cota Cundinamarca utilizando el modelo DRASTIC

Esta investigación se desarrolló al interior del Grupo de Investigación TECNOAMBIENTAL y con apoyo del convenio CAR –UNILIBRE, en el Proyecto Gestión Integral del Recurso Hídrico en la temática de Aguas Subterráneas. Se identificó que los cuatro pozos del acueducto donde se explota agua subterránea para el Municipio de Cota Cundinamarca ofrecen al día 3´715,200L. Se identificó la demanda hídrica del casco urbano del Municipio de Cota, Se generaron mapas de vulnerabilidad intrínseca para el acuífero del Municipio de Cota Cundinamarca, mediante la metodología DRASTIC conforme a cada una de las variables y utilizando algebra de mapas se generó cada mapa por medio del software ArcGis 10.1. Se obtuvieron valores correspondientes al índice de vulnerabilidad intrínseca. Todo lo anterior mencionado se hizo con el fin de tener una visión clara de la importancia de proteger el recurso hídrico subterráneo del Municipio de Cota.