Geostatistical Assessment for Ground Water Resources Development: A Case Study of Bende Local Government Area Abia State, South Eastern Nigeria

The aim of this paper was to develop a geostatistical model for the identification of ground water resources development priority zones. The model was developed based on the important hydrogeologic factors that determine the availability of groundwater and the vulnerability of aquifers to surface contamination. The relevant input parameters namely depth to water table (d), aquifer thickness (h), transmissivity () and protective capacity (pc), were integrated to develop the Ground Water Potential Index (GWPI) and Ground Water Vulnerability Index (GWVI) rating scales. The Groundwater Development Index (GWDI) model was formulated as the ratio of GWPI to GWVI. The GWDI values range from 0.22 to 0.97. The demarcation of the study area based on the results of the GWDI assessment delineated the study area into six ground water development priority zones: (i) Very Low Potential & Extreme Vulnerability (5.2 % of the study area) (ii) Low potential & Extreme vulnerability (15.7 % of the study area) (iii) Medium potential & Extreme vulnerability (31.5 % of the study area). (iv) Medium potential & High vulnerability (5.2 % of the study area). (v) High potential & Extreme vulnerability (36.8 % of the study area). (vi) High potential & High vulnerability (5.2 % of the study area). The results of this study may be used for sustainable development of groundwater resources by identifying areas that have high groundwater development values. It is recommended that the priority for groundwater exploration and exploitation be based on high GWDI values.