RIVA: a new proposed method for assessing intrinsic groundwater vulnerability

Area of Science:

• Hydrogeology
• Environmental Science
• Water Resource Management

Background:

• Intrinsic groundwater vulnerability assessment is crucial for water resource management.
• Existing methods often require extensive data or are not universally applicable.
• There is a need for a reliable yet accessible groundwater vulnerability assessment tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel index-based method, RIVA, for assessing intrinsic groundwater vulnerability.
• To develop a method that is comprehensive, reliable, and not data-intensive.
• To provide a tool applicable to diverse hydrogeological settings.

Main Methods:

• The RIVA method incorporates four key factors: Recharge (R), Infiltration (I), Vadose zone protection (V), and Aquifer characteristics (A).
• It integrates existing methodologies, refining or excluding factors that are difficult to quantify or non-uniformly applicable.
• The method was validated using ground-truth data and hydrogeological knowledge in Kopaida plain, Greece.

Main Results:

• The RIVA method accurately and reliably captures spatially distributed groundwater vulnerability zones.
• Validation confirmed the method's effectiveness in a complex geological setting.
• RIVA offers a balance between accuracy and data requirements, proving effective even with limited resources.

Conclusions:

• The RIVA method is a valid and efficient tool for groundwater vulnerability assessment in complex environments.
• It is suitable for situations with limited data availability and resources.
• RIVA can support risk assessment and decision-making in groundwater management.