Challenges

Water resources in Africa are under pressure due to growing water demand, water quality degradation and climate change. Reliable access to clean water for drinking, agriculture and sanitation is one of the biggest challenges faced by the continent, which has been affected by a series of droughts and consistently low rainfall over past decades. At the same time, population growth, climate change and land use are putting pressure on water resources, raising the question of how to ensure the safety and sufficiency of water for food production and human use. While groundwater has the potential to offer a long-term supply of clean water, the right scientific tools are needed to understand more about this resource.

Managing shared water resources in a cooperative and integrated manner requires a comprehensive initial regional water resource assessment, for which fundamental hydrological data are essential. Technical, legal and institutional frameworks are also of key importance to the integrated management of shared water resources.  Improving the understanding and management of groundwater resources will contribute to SDG 13 – Climate Action, as well as SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation.

Toward a Solution

More than 41 groundwater aquifers on the African continent are shared by two or more countries, making a joint approach to protection highly beneficial. Since 2012, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been implementing a large-scale project “Adding the Groundwater Dimension to the Understanding and Management of Shared Water Resources in the Sahel Region”. The project was implemented in three phases: 2012-2017, 2018-2021 and 2022-2025. Starting with 13 participating countries, the project now covers 33 African countries. The aim of the project is to support the sustainable management of shared groundwater resources in the region, contributing to regional and local socioeconomic development in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. More specifically, the project supports SDG target 6.5: “By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate.” It also contributes to Goal 13 as sustainable water management practices can help enhance resilience to climate-induced water stress and thereby play an important role in climate change adaptation (Target 13.1: “Strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related disasters”). Through South-South cooperation, including technical cooperation, training, capacity building and knowledge exchange, the project supports joint research into shared resources, helping scientists find quality groundwater sources across Africa.

Despite droughts and low rainfall, Africa is home to rich bodies of water that are hidden underground. The 33 participating countries use the groundwater of 41 aquifer systems that cross national borders. In Mauritania and Senegal, scientists connected to the Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin focus on groundwater studies and hydrochemical processes. Research at the Taoudeni Basin, covering parts of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Mauritania involves multi-layered aquifer systems and studies on groundwater recharge and quality. Scientists at the Liptako-Gourma/Upper Volta Basin spanning from Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Togo, focus on hydrogeochemical and isotopic studies in hard-rock geological contexts. At the Lake Chad Basin including Cameroon, Central African Republic Chad, and Nigeria, scientists focus on groundwater resources and their interaction with surface waters. Research at the Iullemeden Aquifer System involving Niger, Mali, and Algeria, concentrates on surface water-groundwater interactions and groundwater sustainability. Scientists at the Inkomati-Maputo Basin covering Eswatini, Mozambique and South Africa, focus on sampling and analysis of groundwater and surface water. At the Medium Zambezi Aquifer System, which covers Botswana, Malawi and Zimbabwe, research on groundwater sampling and hydrochemical analysis is carried out. Scientists at the Orange River Basin, which includes Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, focus on groundwater and surface water interactions and the impact of agricultural activities. At the Greater Okavango River Basin, which covers Angola, Botswana and Namibia, research focuses on groundwater sustainability and the integration of isotope techniques.

Lastly, the African Great Lakes sub-regional study focuses on isotope hydrology and paleoclimate studies. The study covers Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania Uganda and Zambia. Using a collaborative South-South approach, joint water sampling for isotope analysis was carried out to perform detailed surveys of groundwater supplies. Across the countries, over 7500 samples from wells, rivers and rain were collected and compiled into a dedicated database for each basin. The databases provide a broad overview of groundwater in the region, enabling the analysis of shared groundwater resources for an area covering 9.5 million square kilometers. This overview is a key decision-making resource for water authorities. Following the first project phase (2012-2017), five aquifer basin reports were made available on the IAEA website, providing policymakers with scientific evidence to support decision-making on shared water resources. Subsequently, large quantities of good quality groundwater have been identified in several areas, which are of critical importance to drought-prone regions. Data generated between 2018-2021 aimed to provide a better understanding of deeper aquifers. This data will be analyzed and published on the IAEA website. Several collaborative scientific reports were also published in scholarly journals by scientists from the participating countries – an excellent example of concrete South-South cooperation.

Over the years, and as another key South-South cooperation component, extensive training of scientists in water sampling and analysis was carried out through its technical cooperation programme. The IAEA is equipped with a state-of-the-art Isotope Hydrology Laboratory, where scientists map water and provide scientific insights into the sustainable management of water resources like rivers, lakes and underground aquifers. Through the IAEA postgraduate Sandwich Training Programme[1] sixty students are trained in isotope hydrology. By strengthening their skills and expertise, regional self-reliance in isotope hydrology is being built. Moreover, several regional isotope hydrology experts were mobilized to mentor students and support the project. Isotope hydrology is being used to study the features of the main aquifers, as well as the interaction between water bodies, and to assess the vulnerability of groundwater to pollution and the impact of climate change on water availability. These factors all affect the quality and availability of fresh water in shared basins. Through the transfer of knowledge, the IAEA supports a comprehensive approach to integrated sustainable groundwater management.

In the latest phase of the project (2022-2025), scientists are focusing on addressing data gaps and expanding the good practices learned by the original participating countries in the Sahel to a group of 33 countries that investigate selected shared water resources. The project applies the IAEA Water Availability Enhancement (IWAVE) methodology, which consists of gap analysis and stakeholder consultation, the development of an optimal strategy for groundwater management and the identification of essential technical capacities in which a country should invest. The expansion is designed to strengthen technical and management capacities and to provide core leadership and expertise for the sustainable management of shared water resources. Hence, this project provides a platform for effective South-South cooperation at both national and regional level. The application of various South-South cooperation modalities not only aims to build capacities but also supports the development of networks that can help contribute to the attainment of various SDGs.

The project is implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), relevant river basin authorities across the African continent as highlighted above, and the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources. The project was supported by Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and the United States.

[1] Through its Sandwich Training Educational Programme (STEP), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) offers fellowships to students from developing countries in the fields of physics, mathematics and related fields. The goal is to strengthen the scientific capability of young scientists and researchers from developing countries to better contribute and serve the scientific, technical, and economic development of their home countries.