Abstract: Groundwater vulnerability is the property of groundwater system in arid area, which shows the combination of sensitivity, variability and flexibility of system structure and function status to human ac- tivity and climatic change. The IRRUDQELTS indexes comprising of ice meltwater ratio to runoff, groundwater recharge ratio and runoff infiltration-ratio to groundwater, runoff use ratio, groundwater pumping ratio, evapo-transpiration and its discharge, groundwater quality, water level falldown and spring water reduction are put forward to assess the groundwater vulnerability in arid area on the base of study in the south edge of Tarim Basin. Accordingly, the indexes for assessing ecology vulnerability also have been concluded as aridity factor (E/P), sandstorm and great wind dates, water resources shortage, ratio between oasis and total land, desertification land out of cultivated area, artificial trees out of oasis, plant growth condition, water quality in unconfined aquifer and the ratio between water resources and land. The vulnerability can be divided into five grades. The caculating result shows groundwater and ecology system is dramatically fragile in this region.

Key words: groundwater vulnerability, IRRUDQELTS indexes, quantitative assessments south of Tarim Basin