Having
decided the focus of my blog, there are a couple more key terms I'd like to
define.
Groundwater
is, "the water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand
and rock. It is stored in and moves slowly through geologic formations of soil,
sand and rocks called aquifers" (Groundwater.org, 2015).
A
transboundary aquifer (TBA) is defined as, "an aquifer or aquifer system,
parts of which are situated in different States" (Stephan, 2009). It's
estimated that 75% of the African population depend upon groundwater for their
basic needs, leading to water stress and insecurity (UNECA et al, 2000; MacDonald
et al, 2012; Clifton et al, 2010). It is therefore no surprise that TBAs are
being heavily contested by neighbouring states over the provision of freshwater
for their people.
With
a population exceeding 1.1 billion and growing, the demand for water in Africa
is extremely high (World Population Review, 2015). Supply of water can come
from: 1) extraction from water bodies located entirely within a country's own
territory (eg. ponds and lakes), 2) extraction from freshwater systems that
cross international boundaries. These freshwater systems can include rivers,
streams and groundwater found in TBAs.
Only
quite recently have TBAs been seen as an important source of water for
countries in Africa. There are 71 TBA systems here, as illustrated on the map below
(Altchenko and Villholth, 2013).
As
verified by the table below, many countries have a large percentage of their
surface area within TBAs. Given this, it is imperative that sufficient TBA
management is implemented to ensure the fair and sustainable provision of
freshwater to states who have rightful access to it (Altchenko and Villholth,
2013).
References:
Altchenko, Y. and Villholth, K. (2013). Transboundary
aquifer mapping and management in
Africa: a harmonised approach. Hydrogeol J, 21(7), pp.1497-1517.
Clifton C, Evans R, Hayes S, Hirji R, Puz G, Pizarro C
(2010) Water and climate change:
impacts on groundwater
resources and adaptation options. WB working
note no. 25, World Bank, Washington, DC
Groundwater.org, (2015). What is Groundwater.
[online] Available at: http://www.groundwater.org/get-informed/basics/groundwater.html
[Accessed 29 Oct. 2015].
MacDonald, A., Bonsor, H., Dochartaigh, B. and Taylor,
R. (2012). Quantitative maps of groundwater
resources in Africa. Environ. Res. Lett., 7(2), p.024009.
Stephan RM (2009) Transboundary aquifers: managing a
vital resource, the UNILC Draft
Articles on the Law of Transboundary
Aquifers, SC-2008/WS/35, UNESCO, Paris,
24 pp
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA),
African Union (AU), and African
Development
Bank (AfDB) (2000) The Africa water vision for 2025: equitable and
sustainable use of water for
socioeconomic development, 28 pp. http://www.afdb.org/
fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Generic- Documents/
african%20water%20vision%202025%20to%20be%20sent%20to %20wwf5.pdf.
Accessed on 29 October 2015
Worldpopulationreview.com, (2015). Africa
Population 2015 - World Population Review. [online]
Available at: http://worldpopulationreview.com/continents/africa- population/ [Accessed 29 Oct. 2015].
