Groundwater for Sustainable Development 11 (2020) 100481
9
original cultural patrimony (Roman, Byzantine and colonial ruins),
qualifies it as a tourist pole of great importance, hosting annually about
24 million summer visitors, from which 6 million choose the site El
Hamdania downstream of the Cherchell aquifer, which is the reason for
the increase in water demand.
The setback of the El Hamdania beach coastline downstream of the
aquifer, due to the deficit of solid inputs sequestered in the dam (Tadrist
et al., 2016), seems to be another harm to the aquifer, as it decreases its
distance from the sea. This conditions increase the vulnerability of the
aquifer to marine intrusion.
The major problem of the site is the volume of water supplied to the
aquifer, the deficit of water flow is linked to the installation of the
Boukerdene Dam in the sub-watershed of the region, which stops the
flow of runoff water from the piedmont, reducing the amount of water
infiltrated into the soil and inhibiting the feeding of the aquifer. In
addition, the impact of climate change, such as low precipitation and
predicted rise in sea level, could increase the salinity of coastal aquifers
(Mahrez et al., 2018). However, feeding of the aquifer by superficial
water should be necessary to achieve balance. Artificial channels should
be established to supply the aquifer by over-damming during periods of
flooding, so that the release of pores by lacrimation of the upper soil in
order to enhance water infiltration and replenishment of the aquifer,
strengthening the groundwater reserves and pushing the saltwater towards the sea. Supervision of well depths, which should not exceed the
surface layer of the aquifer, so as not to exhaust the aquifer and avoid
salt wedging. The transition of modern agriculture to water-saving
cultures. The supply of El Hamdania beach with solid that comply
with standards appears necessary to stop the sea rise, which threatens
the sustainability of the aquifer. Implementation of detailed monitoring
plans in the most vulnerable areas, thus the aquifer pumping rate should
be reduced.
For a successful protection of the aquifer quality, monthly assessments are needed to understand the behaviour of the aquifer with surface changes and to decide on the right type of protection to be
considered.
7. Conclusion
The GALDIT method was applied to assess marine intrusion into the
Cherchell aquifer. The final map highlights that the littoral zone of the
aquifer exhibits high vulnerability to marine intrusion, while the rest of
the area is characterized by low to moderate vulnerability.
Some parameters, such as aquifer type, groundwater level, distance
from the shoreline, and thickness of the aquifer, have the highest
amplitude, while the current state of the aquifer was found to be a lower
index. Overexploitation of groundwater resources and poor supply is the
major problem, though a management plan will be adopted. An
assessment of all possible anthropogenic activities impacts seems
necessary in order to identify all sources of salinisation. Marine intrusion
may have adverse effects on the overall environmental system of the
coastal zone as it will affect soils and fresh groundwater, which are
valuable for the population.
Overall, the map obtained by mapping the vulnerability of the
Cherchell aquifer to marine intrusion provides an important database
for future aquifer management decisions. In this light, the longterm
sustainable exploitation of the Cherchell Aquifer is the main objective,
as it is the only aquifer in the region.
Lastly, we recommend that the GALDIT vulnerability maps be
updated regularly, using GIS technology to allow continuous assessment
and monitoring to understand the behaviour of the aquifer over time.
The GALDIT methodology allows a clear view of the state of the
aquifer, but it is not able to identify all sources of salinisation.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.gsd.2020.100481.
References
Andersen, L., Gosk, E., 1987. Applicability of vulnerability maps. W: the vulnerability of
soil and Groundwater pollution (red. W. Van Duijvenbooden, HG van Waegeningh):
321–332. In: Proceedings of International Conference. TNO.
Baghvand, A., Nasrabadi, T., et al., 2010. Groundwater quality degradation of an aquifer
in Iran central desert. Desalination 260 (1–3), 264–275.
Batchi, M., Karkouri, A., et al., 2014. Cartographie de la vuln´ erabilit´ e ` a l’intrusion
marine de l’aquif` ere Cˆ otier de Mnasra (littoral du Gharb, Maroc–Nord-Occidental).
Mar Sci Coast Res J 11.
Batchi, M., Karkouri, J.A., et al., 2017. ´
Etude comparative de deux mod` eles (DRASTIC et
SI) pour l’´ evaluation de la sensibilit´ e de la nappe phr´ eatique de Mnasra (Maroc nordOccidental) `
a la pollution d’origine agricole. Physio-G´ eo. G´ eographie physique et
environnement 11, 43–64.
Bouderbala, A., Remini, B., et al., 2016. Assessment of groundwater vulnerability and
quality in coastal aquifers: a case study (Tipaza, North Algeria). Arabian Journal of
Geosciences 9 (3), 181.
Boudjelil, E.-h., Djafari, A.K., 2018. Etude de la vuln´ erabilit´ e ` a la pollution de la nappe
superficielle de Souk El Tenine par la m´ ethode GALDIT.
Castany, G., 1982a. Bassin s´ edimentaire du Sahara septentrional (Alg´ erie-Tunisie).
Aquif` eres du continental intercalaire et du complexe terminal. Bull. BRGM 2 (2),
127–147.
Castany, G., 1982b. Principes et m´ ethodes de l’hydrog´ eologie (Bordas).
Chachadi, A., 2005. Seawater intrusion mapping using modified GALDIT indicator
model: a case study in Goa.
Chachadi, A., Lobo Ferreira, J., 2007. Assessing Aquifer Vulnerability to Seawater
Intrusion Using GALDIT Method (Part).
Chachadi, A., Lobo-Ferreira, J., 2001a. Sea water intrusion vulnerability mapping of
aquifers using GALDIT method. Coastin 4, 7–9.
Chachadi, A., Lobo-Ferreira, J., 2001b. Seawater Intrusion Vulnerability Mapping of
Aquifers Using GALDIT Method. COASTIN: a Coastal Policy Research Newsletter.
TERI, New Delhi.
Chachadi, A., Lobo Ferreira, J., et al., 2003. Assessing the Impact of Sea-Level Rise on
Salt Water Intrusion in Coastal Aquifers Using GALDIT Model. APRH/CEAS.
Processing Semin´ ario Sobre Aguas Subterrˆ aneas, Lisboa, p. 13.
Djabri, L., Bouhsina, S., et al., 2019. Essai de cartographie du risque d’intrusion marine
par une approche multicriteres: cas de la nappe de collo (N-E, Algerien). Larhyss J.
38, 7–20.
Djoudar, D., Zahouani, S., et al., 2017. Application of the GALDIT method to the study of
groundwater vulnerability of the east Mitidja alluvial waters. In: EuroMediterranean Conference for Environmental Integration. Springer.
Duijvenbooden, W.v., Van Waegeningh, H., 1987. Vulnerability of soil and groundwater
to pollutants." Verslagen en Mededelingen. Commissie voor Hydrologisch Onderzoek
TNO, Netherlands).
Guezgouz N, D. L. and S. Bouhsina "Etude comparative de la vuln´ erabilit´ e `
a l’intrusion
marine par la m´ ethode param´ etrique: cas de la r´ egion de Annaba–Guerbes (NE
Alg´ erie).".
Hallal, D.D., Khelfi, M.E.A., et al., 2019. Application of the GALDIT method combined
with geostatistics at the Bouteldja aquifer (Algeria). Environmental earth sciences 78
(1), 22.
Hashimoto, T., Stedinger, J.R., et al., 1982. Reliability, resiliency, and vulnerability
criteria for water resource system performance evaluation. Water Resour. Res. 18
(1), 14–20.
Kazakis, N., Spiliotis, M., et al., 2018. A fuzzy multicriteria categorization of the GALDIT
method to assess seawater intrusion vulnerability of coastal aquifers. Sci. Total
Environ. 621, 524–534.
Khadidja, B., 2018. Ettabllissement de cartte de ressources en eaux soutterraines de la
willaya de Tipaza.
Lobo-Ferreira, J., Chachadi, A., 2005. Assessing Aquifer Vulnerability to Sea-Water
Intrusion Using GALDIT Method: Part 2–GALDIT Indicators Description. The fourth
inter-celtic Colloquium on Hydrology and management of water resources, Portugal.
Lobo-Ferreira, J., Cunha, M.C., et al., 2003. Application of optimization models for
satisfaction of water resource demand of tourist infrastructure. In: Noronha, et al.
(Eds.), Coastal Tourism, Environment, and Sustainable Local Development,
pp. 305–320.
Maamar, H., 2004. Annuaire hydrog´ eologique de la nappe alluviale de l’oued El
Hachem." Blida, Alg´ erie: Agence Nationale des Ressources Hydrauliques (ANRH).
Mahrez, B., Klebingat, S., et al., 2018. GIS-based GALDIT method for vulnerability
assessment to seawater intrusion of the Quaternary coastal Collo aquifer (NEAlgeria). Arabian Journal of Geosciences 11 (4), 71.
Mancet, J., 1972. Etude hydrog´ eologique de la nappe alluviale de l’oued El Hachem.
ANRH.
Medejerab, A., Henia, L., 2011. Variations spatiotemporelles de la s´ echeresse climatique
en Alg´ erie nordoccidentale. Courrier du savoir 11, 71–79.
N. Amarni et al.
9
original cultural patrimony (Roman, Byzantine and colonial ruins),
qualifies it as a tourist pole of great importance, hosting annually about
24 million summer visitors, from which 6 million choose the site El
Hamdania downstream of the Cherchell aquifer, which is the reason for
the increase in water demand.
The setback of the El Hamdania beach coastline downstream of the
aquifer, due to the deficit of solid inputs sequestered in the dam (Tadrist
et al., 2016), seems to be another harm to the aquifer, as it decreases its
distance from the sea. This conditions increase the vulnerability of the
aquifer to marine intrusion.
The major problem of the site is the volume of water supplied to the
aquifer, the deficit of water flow is linked to the installation of the
Boukerdene Dam in the sub-watershed of the region, which stops the
flow of runoff water from the piedmont, reducing the amount of water
infiltrated into the soil and inhibiting the feeding of the aquifer. In
addition, the impact of climate change, such as low precipitation and
predicted rise in sea level, could increase the salinity of coastal aquifers
(Mahrez et al., 2018). However, feeding of the aquifer by superficial
water should be necessary to achieve balance. Artificial channels should
be established to supply the aquifer by over-damming during periods of
flooding, so that the release of pores by lacrimation of the upper soil in
order to enhance water infiltration and replenishment of the aquifer,
strengthening the groundwater reserves and pushing the saltwater towards the sea. Supervision of well depths, which should not exceed the
surface layer of the aquifer, so as not to exhaust the aquifer and avoid
salt wedging. The transition of modern agriculture to water-saving
cultures. The supply of El Hamdania beach with solid that comply
with standards appears necessary to stop the sea rise, which threatens
the sustainability of the aquifer. Implementation of detailed monitoring
plans in the most vulnerable areas, thus the aquifer pumping rate should
be reduced.
For a successful protection of the aquifer quality, monthly assessments are needed to understand the behaviour of the aquifer with surface changes and to decide on the right type of protection to be
considered.
7. Conclusion
The GALDIT method was applied to assess marine intrusion into the
Cherchell aquifer. The final map highlights that the littoral zone of the
aquifer exhibits high vulnerability to marine intrusion, while the rest of
the area is characterized by low to moderate vulnerability.
Some parameters, such as aquifer type, groundwater level, distance
from the shoreline, and thickness of the aquifer, have the highest
amplitude, while the current state of the aquifer was found to be a lower
index. Overexploitation of groundwater resources and poor supply is the
major problem, though a management plan will be adopted. An
assessment of all possible anthropogenic activities impacts seems
necessary in order to identify all sources of salinisation. Marine intrusion
may have adverse effects on the overall environmental system of the
coastal zone as it will affect soils and fresh groundwater, which are
valuable for the population.
Overall, the map obtained by mapping the vulnerability of the
Cherchell aquifer to marine intrusion provides an important database
for future aquifer management decisions. In this light, the longterm
sustainable exploitation of the Cherchell Aquifer is the main objective,
as it is the only aquifer in the region.
Lastly, we recommend that the GALDIT vulnerability maps be
updated regularly, using GIS technology to allow continuous assessment
and monitoring to understand the behaviour of the aquifer over time.
The GALDIT methodology allows a clear view of the state of the
aquifer, but it is not able to identify all sources of salinisation.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.gsd.2020.100481.
References
Andersen, L., Gosk, E., 1987. Applicability of vulnerability maps. W: the vulnerability of
soil and Groundwater pollution (red. W. Van Duijvenbooden, HG van Waegeningh):
321–332. In: Proceedings of International Conference. TNO.
Baghvand, A., Nasrabadi, T., et al., 2010. Groundwater quality degradation of an aquifer
in Iran central desert. Desalination 260 (1–3), 264–275.
Batchi, M., Karkouri, A., et al., 2014. Cartographie de la vuln´ erabilit´ e ` a l’intrusion
marine de l’aquif` ere Cˆ otier de Mnasra (littoral du Gharb, Maroc–Nord-Occidental).
Mar Sci Coast Res J 11.
Batchi, M., Karkouri, J.A., et al., 2017. ´
Etude comparative de deux mod` eles (DRASTIC et
SI) pour l’´ evaluation de la sensibilit´ e de la nappe phr´ eatique de Mnasra (Maroc nordOccidental) `
a la pollution d’origine agricole. Physio-G´ eo. G´ eographie physique et
environnement 11, 43–64.
Bouderbala, A., Remini, B., et al., 2016. Assessment of groundwater vulnerability and
quality in coastal aquifers: a case study (Tipaza, North Algeria). Arabian Journal of
Geosciences 9 (3), 181.
Boudjelil, E.-h., Djafari, A.K., 2018. Etude de la vuln´ erabilit´ e ` a la pollution de la nappe
superficielle de Souk El Tenine par la m´ ethode GALDIT.
Castany, G., 1982a. Bassin s´ edimentaire du Sahara septentrional (Alg´ erie-Tunisie).
Aquif` eres du continental intercalaire et du complexe terminal. Bull. BRGM 2 (2),
127–147.
Castany, G., 1982b. Principes et m´ ethodes de l’hydrog´ eologie (Bordas).
Chachadi, A., 2005. Seawater intrusion mapping using modified GALDIT indicator
model: a case study in Goa.
Chachadi, A., Lobo Ferreira, J., 2007. Assessing Aquifer Vulnerability to Seawater
Intrusion Using GALDIT Method (Part).
Chachadi, A., Lobo-Ferreira, J., 2001a. Sea water intrusion vulnerability mapping of
aquifers using GALDIT method. Coastin 4, 7–9.
Chachadi, A., Lobo-Ferreira, J., 2001b. Seawater Intrusion Vulnerability Mapping of
Aquifers Using GALDIT Method. COASTIN: a Coastal Policy Research Newsletter.
TERI, New Delhi.
Chachadi, A., Lobo Ferreira, J., et al., 2003. Assessing the Impact of Sea-Level Rise on
Salt Water Intrusion in Coastal Aquifers Using GALDIT Model. APRH/CEAS.
Processing Semin´ ario Sobre Aguas Subterrˆ aneas, Lisboa, p. 13.
Djabri, L., Bouhsina, S., et al., 2019. Essai de cartographie du risque d’intrusion marine
par une approche multicriteres: cas de la nappe de collo (N-E, Algerien). Larhyss J.
38, 7–20.
Djoudar, D., Zahouani, S., et al., 2017. Application of the GALDIT method to the study of
groundwater vulnerability of the east Mitidja alluvial waters. In: EuroMediterranean Conference for Environmental Integration. Springer.
Duijvenbooden, W.v., Van Waegeningh, H., 1987. Vulnerability of soil and groundwater
to pollutants." Verslagen en Mededelingen. Commissie voor Hydrologisch Onderzoek
TNO, Netherlands).
Guezgouz N, D. L. and S. Bouhsina "Etude comparative de la vuln´ erabilit´ e `
a l’intrusion
marine par la m´ ethode param´ etrique: cas de la r´ egion de Annaba–Guerbes (NE
Alg´ erie).".
Hallal, D.D., Khelfi, M.E.A., et al., 2019. Application of the GALDIT method combined
with geostatistics at the Bouteldja aquifer (Algeria). Environmental earth sciences 78
(1), 22.
Hashimoto, T., Stedinger, J.R., et al., 1982. Reliability, resiliency, and vulnerability
criteria for water resource system performance evaluation. Water Resour. Res. 18
(1), 14–20.
Kazakis, N., Spiliotis, M., et al., 2018. A fuzzy multicriteria categorization of the GALDIT
method to assess seawater intrusion vulnerability of coastal aquifers. Sci. Total
Environ. 621, 524–534.
Khadidja, B., 2018. Ettabllissement de cartte de ressources en eaux soutterraines de la
willaya de Tipaza.
Lobo-Ferreira, J., Chachadi, A., 2005. Assessing Aquifer Vulnerability to Sea-Water
Intrusion Using GALDIT Method: Part 2–GALDIT Indicators Description. The fourth
inter-celtic Colloquium on Hydrology and management of water resources, Portugal.
Lobo-Ferreira, J., Cunha, M.C., et al., 2003. Application of optimization models for
satisfaction of water resource demand of tourist infrastructure. In: Noronha, et al.
(Eds.), Coastal Tourism, Environment, and Sustainable Local Development,
pp. 305–320.
Maamar, H., 2004. Annuaire hydrog´ eologique de la nappe alluviale de l’oued El
Hachem." Blida, Alg´ erie: Agence Nationale des Ressources Hydrauliques (ANRH).
Mahrez, B., Klebingat, S., et al., 2018. GIS-based GALDIT method for vulnerability
assessment to seawater intrusion of the Quaternary coastal Collo aquifer (NEAlgeria). Arabian Journal of Geosciences 11 (4), 71.
Mancet, J., 1972. Etude hydrog´ eologique de la nappe alluviale de l’oued El Hachem.
ANRH.
Medejerab, A., Henia, L., 2011. Variations spatiotemporelles de la s´ echeresse climatique
en Alg´ erie nordoccidentale. Courrier du savoir 11, 71–79.
N. Amarni et al.