Abstract
The Khorein karstic aquifer in the Kermanshah province (western Iran) plays a vital role in providing drinking and agricultural water for its surrounding communities. The aim of this research is to evaluate natural vulnerability, hazard and risk indices of the Khorein aquifer by cost action 620 proposed models, as well as to prioritize the aquifer surface concerning to protection measures and providing management strategies in order to its better protection. The results of the COP method represent the high natural vulnerability of the region. Calculation of the hazard index show that the military regions, telecom sites, the nomads’ habitation areas and quarries are situated in areas with low hazard index. Evaluation of the risk index and predict the aquifer contamination show that 75 % of the region extent is no or very low contamination risk, which this is due to low development of human activities in the top of the mass. This claim is confirmed by the presence of Escherichia coli bacteria in the aquifer water. The expansion of human activities in future toward the altitudes, can lead to further pollution of the aquifer. Continuous monitoring of the chemical characteristics of water, taking the recharge map, characterizing the areas with concentrated charge, determining the karstic landform limits, restricting the livestock activities on the anticline top, avoiding the construction activities close to the aquifer and improving the people and authorities public awareness level are the main necessary measures pertaining to manage the Khorein aquifer.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams B, Foster SSD (1992) Land-surface zoning for groundwater protection. Water Environ J 6(4):312–319
Afrasiabian A (2007) The importance of protection and management of Karst water as drinking water resources in Iran. Environ Geol 52:673–677
Andreo B, Goldscheider N, Vadillo I, Mar Vias J, Neukum C, Sinreich M, Jime´nez P, Brechenmacher J, Carrasco F, Ho¨ tzl H, JesuPerles M, Zwahlen F (2006) Karst groundwater protection: first application of a Pan-European approach to vulnerability, hazard and risk mapping in the Sierra de Lı´bar (Southern Spain). Sci Total Environ 357:54–73
Ashjari J, Raeisi E (2006) Influences of anticlinal structure on regional flow, Zagros, Iran. J Cave Karst Stud 68(3):118–129
Daly D, Dassargues A, Drew D, Dunne S, Goldscheider N, Neale S et al (2002) Main concepts of the European approach to karst groundwater vulnerability assessment and mapping. Hydrogeol J 10:340–345
De Ketelaer D, Htzl H, Neukum C, Civita M, Sappa G(2003) Hazard analysis and mapping 86–104
Dimitriou E, Zacharias I (2006) Groundwater vulnerability and risk mapping in a geologically complex area by using stable isotopes. remote sensing and GIS techniques. Environ Geol 51(2):309–323
Dimitriou E, Karaouzas I, Sarantakos K, Zacharias I, Bogdanos K, Diapoulis A (2008) Groundwater risk assessment at a heavily industrialised catchment and the impacts on a peri-urban wetland. J Environ Manage 88(3):526–538
Ducci D (2007) Intrinsic vulnerability of the Alburni Karst system (southern Italy). Geological Society, London, Special Publications 279.1:137–151
Ford D, Williams P (2007) Karst hydrogeology and geomorphology. Wiley Chichester, United Kingdom, p 562
Geological survey & mineral exploration of Iran (1981) Geological map scale 1:100000 Kamyaran, sheet No.5359 in 1360
Gondwe B, Alonso G, Gottwein G (2011) The influence of conceptual model uncertainty on management decisions for a groundwater-dependent ecosystem in karst. J Hydrol 400:24–40
I.R. of Iran Meteorological Organization, Meteorological data of synoptic weather station for Ravansar, years 1987–2013
Kattaa B, Al-Fares W, Al Charideh A (2010) Groundwater vulnerability assessment for the Banyas catchment of the Syrian coastal area using GIS and the RISKE method. J Environ Manage 91(5):1103–1110
Kiros M, Zhou Y (2006) GIS-based vulnerability assessment and mapping for the protection of the Dire Dawa groundwater basin, Ethiopia. In: 34th Congress of international association of hydrogeologists, Beijing PR China
Leyland R (2008) Vulnerability mapping in karst terrains, exemplified in the wider Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, Dissertation, University of Pretoria
Milanović P (2004) Water resources engineering in Karst, Taylor & Francis
Mimi ZA, Assi A (2009) Intrinsic vulnerability, hazard and risk mapping for karst aquifers: a case study. J Hydrol 364:298–310
Morris BL, Foster SSD (2000) Cryptosporidium contamination hazard assessment and risk management for British groundwater sources. Water Sci Technol 41:67–77
Mudarra M, Andreo B (2011) Relative importance of the saturated and the unsaturated zones in the hydrogeological functioning of karst aquifers: the case of Alta Cadena (Southern Spain). J Hydrol 397:263–280
Paul Novel J, Dimadi A, Zervopoulou A, Bakalowicz M (2007) The Aggitis karst system, Eastern Macedonia, Greece. the karst structure. J Hydrol 334:477–492
Plan L, Decker K, Faber R, Wagreich M, Grasemann B (2009) Karst morphology and groundwater vulnerability of high alpine karst plateaus. Environ Geol 58(2):285–297
Ravbar N, Kranjc A (2007) The protection of Karst waters: a comprehensive slovene approach to vulnerability and contamination risk mapping. Inštitut za raziskovanje krasa ZRC SAZU
Vías JM, Andreo B, Perles MJ, Carrasco F, Vadillo I, Jiménez P (2006) Proposed method for groundwater vulnerability mapping in carbonate (karstic) aquifers: the COP method. Application in two pilot sites in Southern Spain. Hydrogeol J 14(6):912–925
Vías J, Andreo B, Ravbar N, Hötzl H (2010) Mapping the vulnerability of groundwater to the contamination of four carbonate aquifers in Europe. J Environ Manage 91:1500–1510
Zwahlen F (2004) Vulnerability and risk mapping for the protection of carbonate (karst) aquifers, final report (COST action 620). European Commission, Directorate-General XII Science, Research and Development, Brussels p 297
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Entezari, M., Yamani, M. & Jafari Aghdam, M. Evaluation of intrinsic vulnerability, hazard and risk mapping for karst aquifers, Khorein aquifer, Kermanshah province: a case study . Environ Earth Sci 75, 435 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5258-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5258-5