CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF VULNERABILITY OF TERMINAL COMPLEX AQUIFER AND WELLHEAD PROTECTION AREA OF WATER CATCHMENT IN THE VALLEY OF EL-OUED

Abstract

Water is a vital resource for all living things, particularly in arid regions where water scarcity is a problem. Increasing population, pollution and climate changing are the main factors that negatively affect the amount of water on earth and increase water stress. In arid Algerian regions (the Sahara), underground water is basically the only source of water supply for various uses (human, agricultural and industrial). So, its preservation is critical. For this reason, its preservation is vital. The aim of this study is to verify the vulnerability of groundwater to pollution using the WYSSLING method to identify a wellhead protection area in the aquifer of the terminal complex (TC) of the valley of Oued Souf (South-Eastern Algeria). Results obtained using the WYSSLING method and isochronous calculations show that the terminal complex aquifer has low vulnerability and sensitivity to pollution, and that wellhead protected areas vary from one place to another due to geological features of the region and other factors such as water rising.