Assessment of karst groundwater vulnerability provides an efficient means for protection, management and utilization of karst groundwater resources. Groundwater tends to be polluted due to the lack of protection zoning in place over most karst area in southwest China. This paper reviews and adapts the RISKE model for a use in assessing the karst groundwater vulnerability in Chongqing. It is concluded that the distribution of karst areas in a decreasing order is identified as the Northeast(43.14%)、the Southeast(42.82%)、the east(9.82%)and the west of Chongqing (4.22%), while the areas exceeding the medium vulnerability threshold are the Southeast(33.29%)、the Northeast (29.21%)、the east (6.68%)and the west(2.37%) in Chongqing. In terms of the groundwater quality, ranks from the worst to the best are the Southeast、 the Northeast、 the west and the east of Chongqing, respectively. It is further concluded that the spatial characteristics of the groundwater vulnerability in the areas is affected not only by the natural characteristics such as lithology、soil、sinkholes、karst fissure etc, but also by human activities. It is realistic that the control of human activities should be prioritized in order to mitigate groundwater pollution.