A GIS-based DRASTIC and pesticide DRASTIC model to evaluate groundwater vulnerability to pollution in Central Erbil basin, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
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Abstract
Assessing groundwater vulnerability is crucial for managing groundwater resources effectively, especially in regions experiencing significant human activities and pollution. This study evaluates groundwater vulnerability in the Central Erbil Basin, northern Iraq, using a comparative approach with the DRASTIC and Pesticide DRASTIC methods, integrated with a geographic information system (GIS). Results showed the highest vulnerability in the central-western and central-eastern parts of the study area. In contrast, the south-eastern, central, and northwestern parts exhibited the lowest vulnerability. Furthermore, a single-parameter sensitivity analysis for both methods indicated that the unsaturated zone was the most influential among the seven parameters, while hydraulic conductivity was the least influential. Lastly, validation of the final vulnerability maps against real nitrate concentration measurements using the Pearson correlation coefficient showed that Pesticide DRASTIC was more accurate than DRASTIC, with R = 0.66 compared with R = 0.62 for DRASTIC.
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