Dr. Prof. Norma Patricia López Acosta
Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (II-UNAM), México
MSc. Carolina Martínez Salvador
Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (II-UNAM), México
(a) Purpose or objectives and status of study or research hypothesis
To estimate GOD indexes for Mexican aquifers to assess: 1) how many GOD vulnerable aquifers are also water-stressed aquifers (WSA); 2) how many are also vulnerable to climate change (VCC); 3)at what extend GOD indexes estimated by mine companies applying for permits to build mine tailings match academic GOD estimations and where those projects are.
(b) Key issue(s) or problem(s) addressed
Vulnerability indexes (VI) are helpful tools for authorities to decide on projects that might impact the environment. GOD methodology in México is used to assess aquifer vulnerability when a mine tailing may be built and must be estimated when applying for an environmental permit. Although the regulation does not prohibit to build the project, even upon detected vulnerability, it mandates measures to prevent aquifer pollution in those cases. So, the first step is to estimate the GOD index and reported it upon delivering the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIAs) to the authorities, a practice that seems not so common en México.
(c) Methodology or approach used
We estimated national GOD indexes using available public and open access geospatial official data and then we compared those estimations with: a) climate change vulnerability index computed CONAGUA (National Water Council); b) status of aquifer water allocation availability and c) mine tailings projects that presented EIAs studies to the environmental authorities for its analysis and their reports on GOD Index, to compare the degree of consistency between our estimations and theirs. The reports were accessed by using the constitutional right of information.
(d) Results and conclusions derived from the project
Preliminary results indicate that a significant amount of aquifers ranked as vulnerable according to GOD values and, when compared with aquifers labeled as WSA and VCC, important areas showed convergence of the three geospatial indexes. GOD estimation mining was usually not included in the accessed EIAs but the projects were authorized. In the few cases that GOD indexes were estimated by companies, most aquifers were labeled no vulnerable and in just a few instances our estimations and the ones from companies had similar outcomes. With all precautions considered when using VI, we believe not establishing more tight measures when aquifers are deemed as vulnerable might lead to irreversible environmental damages.
(e) Implications of the project relevant to the selected conference theme, theory and/or practice
Assessment of groundwater using vulnerability indexes is a powerful tool; it allows us to raise awareness when we deem fewer precautions are been taken when balancing economical traits, such as mine exploitation, and environmental conservation, such as aquifer protection, particularly in a mining country with many social conflicts related to water allocation.