Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment in Modjo River Catchment (Central Main Ethiopian Rift)
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Date
2008-11
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The thesis entitled Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment In Modjo River Catchment is a
study of the hydrogeological factors pertaining to the DRASTIC system and covers an
area of 1527sq km in the Upper Awash River Basin, particularly Modjo River
Catchment, northwestern shoulder of the Central Main Ethiopian Rift system bounded
in the Zone 37 UTM grids of 930000meter N to 1005000meter N and 490000meter E to
535000meter E. With increasing demand and reliance on groundwater from a growing
population and agricultural activity comes the need to increase efforts to protect and manage the
resources. Urban, and Industrial development, as well as agricultural activities, are potential
sources of groundwater contamination in the study area. The general objective of the
research work is to identify and produce aquifer vulnerability map to pollution in Modjo
River catchment and to assess the risk for groundwater pollution by adopting
Geographic Information System (GIS) based DRASTIC system through producing
thematic maps of pertinent hydrogeological factors within the catchment and finally to
prepare both Intrinsic and Pesticide Vulnerability Maps and determine aquifer
Vulnerability Classes based on DRASTIC Index values. Accordingly, high and very high
vulnerable areas are found to occupy most of the gentle and plain terrains in the central
and southern parts of the study area whereas low and very low vulnerable area occupy
the elevated lands in the eastern, northeastern and northwestern parts of the
catchment. Unfortunately the high and very high vulnerable areas occupy also the high
and moderate groundwater potential zones identified by Sisay, 2007. This gives
additional stimulus to the need to protect the groundwater in the study area.
The final use of such a study is to help planners and regulators make environmentally
sound decisions regarding land use and groundwater protection.
Keywords: DRASTIC Model; Aquifer, Vulnerability; Intrinsic Vulnerability; Pesticide
Vulnerability, Modjo River Catchment ;Central Main Ethiopian Rift
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Keywords
DRASTIC Model; Aquifer, Vulnerability; Intrinsic Vulnerability; Pesticide Vulnerability, Modjo River Catchment ;Central Main Ethiopian Rift