Catalogue of vulnerable aquifers for drought v.1

Groundwater resources serve as strategic assets for water supply during periods of limited surface water availability, especially under drought conditions. These resources, however, must be utilized sustainably to ensure that their use remains within environmental limits and does not compromise the resilience of the groundwater systems. This deliverable contributes to the broader objective of raising awareness about the critical importance of groundwater aquifers. It focuses on identifying aquifers with high resilience—those capable of recovering from extreme conditions—that can serve as strategic resources during droughts, as well as those with low resilience that require heightened protection. This document, Deliverable 4.3, details the methodological approaches designed to study the dynamics of groundwater systems, particularly in the context of droughts. The primary output is the development of a framework to generate a catalogue of aquifers classified by their vulnerability and resilience to drought. This catalogue is intended to serve as a decision-making tool for policymakers, stakeholders, and water resource managers, providing essential insights into sustainable groundwater management practices.