Estimated natural vulnerability of aquifers in the municipality of Porto Seguro - Ba
groundwater; Discovery Coast; GOD methodology; Bahia
Knowledge of areas with greater or lesser vulnerability to contamination in aquifers is of paramount importance for the efficient and sustainable management of groundwater resources. The objective of this work was to elaborate the map of natural vulnerability of aquifers in the municipality of Porto Seguro, in the state of Bahia, using the GOD methodology. This methodology considers three parameters: G (Groundwater hydraulic confinement), O (Overlying Strata) and D (Depth to groundwater table). In Portuguese, the G considers the type of aquifer in terms of its degree of confinement, the O the lithology of the zone above the static level and the D the depth of the static water level. The vulnerability map was prepared using a Geographic Information System (GIS), applying overlapping techniques and numerical operations. The map provided 4 degrees of vulnerability: very low, low, medium and high, except for the extreme degree. Attention should be paid to regions with high class, since they are areas susceptible to possible contamination of groundwater in the region and its surroundings, given that groundwater is in constant flow. In this case, it is essential to adopt prevention practices in the development of activities that put the aquifers at risk, due to their natural fragility.