Assessing Coastal Aquifer to Seawater Intrusion: Application of the GALDIT Method to the Cuddalore Aquifer, India

Abstract

Similar to many other parts of the world, water demand has been increasing in coastal areas due to industrial development, urbanization, population growth, agriculture, and tourism. As these demands are met from groundwater, the underground aquifers show rapidly increasing trends of depletion concomitant with seawater intrusion (SWI), which in turn is becoming a major environmental issue. In this chapter, vulnerability to seawater intrusion in the Cuddalore coastal aquifer is assessed by using the GALDIT method. This ranking- and weight-driven approach, based on various aquifer characteristics of the region, helped to determine the level of salt water intrusion in each distinct hydrological setting. Results of the study have shown that the area near the coast has been highly affected by SWI. Higher SWI in industrialized and urbanized areas is observed, suggestive of anthropogenically enhanced vulnerability. About 9.97% of the study area falls into the high vulnerability region, and the very low vulnerability region comprises 22.03% of the study. © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.