Evaluation of Hierarchical Analysis Method in Calibration of DRASTIC-LU Vulnerability Index (Study Area: Birjand Aquifer)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Water Resources Study and Research, Water Research Institute, Tehran, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Water Engineering Department, University of Birjand.

Abstract

Due to population growth and political development of Birjand city, the status of aquifer vulnerability is important for development. Studies on the DRASTIC index indicate the lack of consideration of land use status and the effect of pollutant transfer on aquifer vulnerability. DRASTIC-LU index has eight parameters and since the incoming weights to this index can be a matter of taste, the model was calibrated according to the Nitrate concentration in the wells of the region. The model was calibrated by using AHP method and the completion of questionnaires was analyzed from the point of view of the importance of each parameter in terms of weight and rank. Questionnaire analysis was performed by couple comparison method and using Expert choice software. The calibrated results indicate an increase in the correlation coefficient between the vulnerability index and the Nitrate concentration at the aquifer. The results showed that land use was positive due to the surface concentration of pollutants in the agricultural and urban sectors, which played an important role in the vulnerability index of aquifers. The results also showed that the accuracy of the vulnerability index could be increased by using the proposed method of this research and calibrate weights and ranks by using the hierarchical analysis method. The correlation between Nitrate concentration and DRASTIC-LU index in the aquifer had increased from 42% to 65%.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Alam, F., Umar, R., Ahmed, sh., Ahmad Dar, F., 2014, A new model (DRASTIC-LU) for evaluating groundwater vulnerability in parts of central Ganga Plain, India, Arab J Geosci., 7:927–937.
Aller, L., T. Bennett, J.H. Lehr, R.J. Petty, and G. Hackett. 1985. DRASTIC: A Standardized System for Evaluating Ground Water Pollution Potential Using Hydrogeologic Settings. EPA-600/2-87-035. Ada, Oklahoma: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Javadi, S., Kardan Moghaddam, H. and Neshat, A., 2020. A new approach for vulnerability assessment of coastal aquifers using combined index. Geocarto International, pp.1-23.
Kardan Moghaddam, H., Jafari, F. and Javadi, S., 2017. Vulnerability evaluation of a coastal aquifer via GALDIT model and comparison with DRASTIC index using quality parameters. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 62(1), pp.137-146.
Kumar, A. and Pramod Krishna, A., 2020. Groundwater vulnerability and contamination risk assessment using GIS-based modified DRASTIC-LU model in hard rock aquifer system in India. Geocarto International, 35(11), pp.1149-1178.
Moghaddam, H.K., kivi, Z.R., Bahreinimotlagh, M. and Moghddam, H.K., 2020. Evaluation of the groundwater resources vulnerability index using nitrate concentration prediction approach. Geocarto International, (just-accepted), pp.1-15.
Moghaddam, H.K., Milan, S.G., Kayhomayoon, Z. and Azar, N.A., 2021. The prediction of aquifer groundwater level based on spatial clustering approach using machine learning. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 193(4), pp.1-20.
Ncibi, K., Chaar, H., Hadji, R., Baccari, N., Sebei, A., Khelifi, F., Abbes, M. and Hamed, Y., 2020. A GIS-based statistical model for assessing groundwater susceptibility index in shallow aquifer in Central Tunisia (Sidi Bouzid basin). Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 13(2), pp.1-21.
Rahimzadeh Kivi, M., Hamzeh, S. and Kardan Moghadam, H., 2015. Identification of Vulnerability Potential of Groundwater Quality in Birjand Plain using DRASTIC Model and its calibration using AHP. Physical Geography Research Quarterly, 47(3), pp.481-498.
Saaty, T. L., 1980. The Analytic Hierarchy Process. McGraw-Hill, New York, USA.287 P.
Sener, E,. Davraz, A,. 2012. Assessment of groundwater vulnerability based on a modified DRASTIC model, GIS and an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method: the case of Egirdir Lake basin (Isparta, Turkey). Hydrogeology Journal (2013) 21: 701–714.
Tirkey, P., Gorai,A. K., Iqbal, J. 2013  AHP-GIS Based DRASTIC Model for Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution Assessment: A Case Study of Hazaribag District, Jharkhand, India.  International Journal of Environmental Protection. Vol. 2 Iss. 3, PP. 20-31.
Vias JM, Andreo B, Perles MJ, Carrasco F (2005) A comparative study of four schemes for groundwater vulnerability mapping in a diffuse flow carbonate aquifer under Mediterranean climatic conditions. Environ Geol 47:586–595.
You-Hailin, Xu-Ligang, Ye-Chang, Xu-Jiaxing (2011). Evaluation of Groundwater Vulnerability with Improved DRASTIC Method; Procedia Environmental Sciences10 (2011) 2690 – 2695.
Zafane, D., Gharbi, B. and Douaoui, A., 2017, November. A New Model (DRASTIC-LU) for Evaluating Groundwater Vulnerability in Alluvial Aquifer of Upper Cheliff (Algeria). In Euro-Mediterranean Conference for Environmental Integration (pp. 615-617). Springer, Cham.
Water Harvesting Research
Volume 4, Issue 1
April 2021
Pages 121-132

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics