Various African countries are still reeling from recent droughts, including Ethiopia, Namibia, and South Africa, yet various studies have revealed that there could be billions of cubic metres of untapped groundwater in various regions that could provide salvation for the thirsty masses.
Across many parts of Africa, where nations depend on agriculture and livestock farming, erratic rains and the depletion of surface water has and still is threatening millions of lives. Potentially vast groundwater reserves are being totally ignored, and this makes no sense at all.
According to research done by the British Geological Society, Africa’s subterranean water amounts to an estimated 660,000 cubic kilometres, which constitutes a number that is 100 times the continent’s annual renewable freshwater resources.
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is leading a coalition to mobilise support for greater use of Africa’s under-used aquifers. This initiative came about as a result of the targets set at the UN Sustainable Development Summit and the Paris climate talks. The goals of the Groundwater Solutions Initiative for Policy and Practice (GRIPP) are to leverage £770m of investments in sub-Saharan Africa for sustainable groundwater irrigation and improving groundwater access in the region for 4 million rural households.
While this initiative has invited some controversy due to overexploitation of groundwater in southern and eastern Africa, resulting in many sedimentary aquifers being dangerously depleted and in some cases degraded by saltwater intrusion, if the correct policies and incentives are put in place, groundwater can be exploited sustainably.
Jeremy Bird, director general of IWMI says that groundwater is more locally available and far more reliable than rain in many parts of Africa, and it also serves as a better buffer to climate shocks:
“It provides an opportunity for farmers to move one step up the ladder from very uncertain rain-fed irrigation, which is subject to the vagaries of climate, to supplementary irrigation, which offers them the ability to provide water when the crop really needs it.â€
Rent water coolers or purchase water coolers from Living-Water.
