Development of Water Resources Vulnerability Indicators:
Integrated Management Support Tools*
Mohamed BEN- DAOUD†
Moulay Ismail University
Faculty of Sciences, Meknes.
bendaoud.mohamed304@email.com
ABSTRACT
The Integrated Water Resources Management concerns the
management of water in all-natural water reservoirs in an integrated
manner, that is to say, taking into account the impacts of water use
on human activities and vice versa. In the city of Meknes, the
problem of the degradation of water quality is a significant
responsibility for authorities and all water stakeholders. The
wastewater sector, mostly responsible for water pollution, records
significant delays. The present work aims to develop water
resources vulnerability indicators in the city of Meknes through the
use of geographic information systems. The developed indicators
concern the quality of water resources, the vulnerability of surface
and groundwater pollution.
KEYWORDS: IWRM; Meknes; Vulnerability indicators; GIS;
water
ACM Reference format:
Mohamed Ben- Daoud, Ahmed Sayad, 2020. Development of Water Resources
Vulnerability Indicators: Integrated Management Support Tools In Proceedings of
International conference Geo-IT and Water Resources 2020 (GEOIT4W-2020). Al-
Hoceima, Morocco,. © 2020 Association for Computing Machinery. ACM ISBN
978-1-4503-7578-8/20/03…$15.00. https://doi.org/10.1145/3399205.3399250
INTRODUCTION
In Morocco, water resources are not immune to diverse
pressures. They are increasingly rare, and some areas are already
affected by progressive exploitation of reserves, jeopardizing their
sustainability and causing damage to their quality and the
environment [1]. Their quality is also threatened by the gradual
accumulation of contaminants from human activities in reservoirs.
Indeed to deal with the said problems, this work designs a
framework for integrated water resources management. It has the
specific objective of developing water resources vulnerability
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GEOIT4W-2020, March 11–12, 2020, Al-Hoceima, Morocco. © 2020 Association
for Computing Machinery. ACM ISBN 978-1-4503-7578-8/20/03…$15.00
https://doi.org/10.1145/3399205.3399250
Ahmed SAYAD
Regional Center of Educational and
Training professions; Fez-Morocco
ah.sayad@gmail.com
indicators in the city of Meknes through the provision of
geographic information systems.
To map the vulnerability of surface water to pollution, we used
three parameters, namely, distance to the hydrographic system,
topography, and soil type [2].
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Surface water vulnerability map.
The map was obtained by the superposition of three parameters
considered in the development of the surface water vulnerability.
Three vulnerability classes were considered (Low, Medium, and
High).
Groundwater vulnerability map.
The method used to map groundwater vulnerability to pollution by
phytosanitary products is the DRASTIC method. It is a method of
assessment and vulnerability mapping of groundwater, which takes
into account most of the hydrogeological factors that influence and
control the flow of groundwater [3]. This method uses the sum of
the products of the seven following parameters (1): (D) Depth of
the water table, (R) net recharge (A) lithology of the aquifer, (S)
type of soil (T) Topography, (I) lithology of the unsaturated zone,
and (C) hydraulic conductivity or permeability of the aquifer [4].
The coupling of this method with GIS raster mode allows
calculating vulnerability indices through the sum of vulnerability
scores multiplied by their respective weights [5].
Groundwater pollution by nitrates
To determine the indicator of groundwater pollution by nitrates, we
carried out an interpolation using GIS measurements of nitrates in
groundwater. Note that the data used to determine this indicator are
only limited surveys, analyses collected from the hydraulic basin
agency of Sebou.
Surface water quality
The evaluation of the surface water quality is conducted by the
water quality assessment scheme (SEQ-water). The evaluation is
made vis-à-vis each of the alterations, as five quality classes
ranging from blue, for the best to red, for the worst. The quality
classes are defined by the thresholds established for each parameter
 4thconference of SAWIS on GeoIT 11, 12 March 2020, Morocco. M. Ben-Daoud et al.

of each of the alterations. The water quality assessment scheme

(SEQ-Water) is based on the concept of a weighted quality index
that is calculated for each parameter [6]. Indeed, the values of the
ranges set by the new grids to evaluate the quality of water are
transformed into unitless numbers ranging from (0) for a very poor
to (100) for excellent quality. The parameter index is obtained by
weighting, while the alteration index is obtained by averaging the
weighted values of the parameters characterizing the said
alteration. Each quality class is defined by a set of threshold values
that different parameters of different alterations should not exceed.
To determine the overall quality, we have adopted an approach that
determines quality through the index of the weakest alteration
index. The quality class obtained is that of the alteration with the
lowest index [6].

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In terms of results, the map of the surface water vulnerability

indicator shows three potential water contamination classes: low,
medium, and high
Figure 2: Overall quality of the surface water
These show a high pollution load discharged into the waters of the
wadi from anthropogenic, domestic, industrial, and agricultural
activities [8]. The vulnerability mapping performed using the
DRASTIC method reveals a medium to a high tendency to
pollution vulnerability (Figure.3).

Figure1: Surface water vulnerability map

Generally, areas with steep slopes and close to hydrographic

systems, that have a high potential vulnerability to surface water
contamination by pesticides, are the areas where both the
vulnerability of surface water and pest pressure are the most
important [7].
They are the main areas of truck farming that are subject to 100%
phytosanitary treatment for reasons of pest vulnerability. The water
quality assessment system allowed us to assess the overall water
quality at each station, taking into account five alterations. Overall,
the water quality is very good at the source level.
From the lover towards the downstream of the wadi, the quality of
the waters deteriorates gradually with a poor to very poor quality
downstream of the Boufekrane and Meknes Agglomerations.
Figure 3: Groundwater vulnerability map
Similar results were found by Sadkaoui et al. [9], across the Basin
of Meknes-Fez. Indeed, three vulnerability classes were identified
(low, medium, and high). The most dominant class is the medium
class by 85%. The DRASTIC method was able to identify the
recharge areas as the most vulnerable of the territory. The latter are
located in territories of agricultural use, which constitutes a risk to
groundwater sources intended for drinking water supply [10] [11].
Moreover, the risk posed by polluting activities in highly
vulnerable areas has been verified in many works in different
 4thconference of SAWIS on GeoIT 11, 12 March 2020, Morocco.
worldwide contexts [12]; [13]. In the study area, nitrates contents
in groundwater samples vary across the 35 points taken from a
minimum of 27 mg/l and a maximum of 148 mg/l. Among these 35
points, 15 have values below the potability threshold of 50 mg / l;
16 have the values between 50 and 100 mg/l, and 4 points have
values of 100 and 150 mg/l. The confrontation of nitrates analysis
results with other data on farming practices shows that the high
values of nitrates are distributed in zones of pumping irrigation
from the water table [14];[15].
The results of this work constitute support for decision-making,
especially for farmers and resource managers, on the other hand,
taking into account technical proposals for the use of materials
which are less dangerous for the environment and health and
acceptance of product use standards in terms of dose for each
molecule [16]. Nitrates values exceeding the potability threshold of
50 mg/l reflect the intensity of agricultural practices. However, this
contamination is not widespread, and values are variable from one
point to another. The dispersion of irrigated plots can explain it in
space and also by the underground heterogeneity that determines
the vulnerability of the water table to hydric pollution. From
measured analyzes at the groundwater level, it seems that nitrates
generated by agricultural pollution pose the most severe problem
for the water table in the study area [17].
Figure 4: Groundwater quality map
The evaluation system of water quality has allowed us to make an
overall assessment of the quality of water at each station, taking
into account five alterations. Overall, water quality is excellent in
the sources of Aine Bijawa, Aine Maarouf, and their junctions.
From the oued’s upstream to downstream, water quality
deteriorates progressively from poor to inferior quality at the
downstream agglomerations of Boufekrane and Meknes, which
shows a substantial polluting discharged load into the waters of the
oued from domestic, industrial, and agricultural human activities
[11].
M. Ben-Daoud et al.
This work aimed at developing water resources vulnerability
indicators. They are an aid to decision support, especially for
managers and policymakers in the field of water resources, and
tools to geographically represent vulnerable localities and
contaminated or potentially at-risk areas across the city of Meknes.
Indeed, maps of indicators developed in this work can be updated
every time to observe the evolution of water contamination risk in
the city of Meknes.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this work aimed to develop indicators of the
vulnerability of water resources; these constitute support for
decision-making, especially for managers and decision-makers in
the field of water resources. Tools allowing to represent
geographically, on the scale of the city of Meknes, the vulnerable
localities, thus the zones contaminated or potentially at risk of
contamination by various pollutants.
Indeed, the indicator maps developed in this work can be updated
all the time, to observe the evolution of the risks of water
contamination in the city of Meknes.
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