Approaches to Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution: A Literature Review

Abstract

It is not feasible and perhaps impossible to formulate an universal technique for predicting groundwater vulnerability, one that considers all of the ways in which contamination occurs or that is appropriate for all situations. The intended use of the vulnerability assessment process is the most obvious and important factor to consider in selecting a vulnerability assessment approach. The three classes (Overlay and Index Methods, Process based Simulation Model Methods and Statistical Methods) of methods for assessing groundwater vulnerability range in complexity from a subjective evaluation of available map data to the application of complex transport models are available. Each class has its own characteristic strengths and weaknesses that affect its suitability for particular application. This paper attempts to review all the major approaches developed worldwide for groundwater vulnerability assessment.