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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 75(17)

Assessing coastal aquifer vulnerability to seawater intrusion: adaptation of the DCG method and application to the Dradère–Souière coastal aquifer in northern Morocco

Fouad Bekkour https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5567-737X A * , Mina Amharref A , Hind Es Saouini A , Siham Acharki B and Abdes Samed Bernoussi A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Geoinformation, Land Management and Environment Research Team (GATE), Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Tangier, Morocco.

B Centre for Remote Sensing Applications (CRSA), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Ben Guerir 43150, Morocco.

* Correspondence to: fouad.bekkour@etu.uae.ac.ma

Handling Editor: Max Finlayson

Marine and Freshwater Research 75, MF24057 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF24057
Submitted: 4 April 2024  Accepted: 24 October 2024  Published: 13 November 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

Seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers represents a major global environmental challenge, leading to salinisation of these water resources.

Aims

This study aims to protect coastal aquifers from marine salinisation by assessing their vulnerability to seawater intrusion.

Methods

The DCG method was adapted by considering the weighted sum of the following three critical parameters controlling seawater intrusion: distance from saltwater (D), aquifer hydraulic conductivity (C) and the hydraulic gradient (G). Thereby, the weights assigned to these parameters were objectively determined through sensitivity tests.

Key results

The DCG map of the Dradère–Souière coastal aquifer shows that vulnerability increases near the sea, with a high to extreme vulnerability zone extending parallel to the coastline up to 5000 m inland. These findings are corroborated by a correlation analysis with the electrical conductivity map.

Conclusion

This study highlighted the adaptation of the DCG method for assessing the vulnerability of coastal aquifers to seawater intrusion and its successful application to the Dradère–Souière coastal aquifer.

Implications

The DCG method could be extended to other coastal regions as a strategic tool for protecting against seawater intrusion. Further improvements could be achieved by correlating it with other approaches and integrating it with GIS technologies.

Keywords: aquifer hydraulic conductivity, coastal aquifers, DCG method, Dradère–Souière coastal aquifer, GIS, hydraulic gradient, Merja Zerka lagoon, seawater intrusion, sensitivity tests, vulnerability.

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