Groundwater vulnerability to contamination in the gulf cooperation council region: A review

Aquifer vulnerability arises from the degradation of groundwater quality due to a wide range of contaminants and pollutants. The escalating concern regarding groundwater contamination has spurred researchers to explore robust approaches and techniques to safeguard this precious resource. Vulnerability assessment techniques have been developed to evaluate the risk of groundwater contamination, with numerous methods being devised for varying geological and environmental settings. Notably, the DRASTIC method has gained widespread popularity. This paper provides a critical review of vulnerability assessment techniques and their applications, specifically in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Progress in the field of vulnerability assessment techniques has been slow despite significant scientific advancements. Methods should be more specific and focused on a particular vulnerability aspect rather than being general and regular. The review reveals that limited studies have been conducted on the use of the DRASTIC method in the GCC region, leading to subjectivity and highlighting the need for future research to focus on multiple approaches to provide genuine comparisons. Given the unique environmental and climatic conditions in the GCC, new techniques should be developed specifically for this region.