The five Partner States of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) – Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe – have joined forces to better manage their groundwater resources. The KAZA-GROW project is implemented by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in partnership with the KAZA TFCA Secretariat, supported…
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is undergoing rapid development that is heavily reliant on its natural resources, increasingly also groundwater. At present, groundwater is mainly accessed for domestic use and market gardening in lowland areas. However, there is significant scope for expanding groundwater use in high-value economic sectors,…
Groundwater in the North China Plain, where half of the country’s grain is produced, is heavily overexploited. Water tables have dropped over, at least, the last three decades, with rates of decline up to 1 m per year. China is actively addressing its groundwater depletion problems, e.g., through water permits…
The groundwater model of Jordan shows the different aquifers of the country virtually (source: BGR). Jordan is one of the most arid countries in the world, with far less than 100 m3 of water available per capita per year, which is about one-fifth of the measure of absolute water scarcity.…
Groundwater is a key source of water for agricultural, industrial and drinking purposes. However, it is also a critical water source for many ecosystems, providing a buffer during dry periods and critical habitat for rare and endemic species. Increasing groundwater use to meet human water demands can outcompete these ecosystem water…
Around the world, many farmers are struggling to make ends meet and manage with scarce resources, in order to sustain their livelihoods. Groundwater is a key resource, particularly because more than every second farmer practicing irrigation in the world is dependent on groundwater. Most farmers often choose groundwater over other…
Groundwater scientists are often challenged to bridge the gap between science and society, and to find effective ways to make the best use of scientific outcomes for the long-term protection and sustainable use of groundwater resources. Undoubtedly, climate change, the widespread diffusion of contaminants, disease pandemics, the shift towards more…
Water scarcity is escalating in many parts of the world and water managers are running out of proverbial arrows in their quiver of traditional water management techniques. Climate change has added another layer of uncertainty that has challenged conventional water resources management. Now is the time to think outside the…
Offshore freshwater aquifers (OFAs) were first discovered in the mid-1970s off the northeast coast of the USA, but their existence remained relatively unknown until the early twenty-first century. An article in the journal Nature in 2013 – Offshore fresh groundwater reserves as a global phenomenon – kick-started widespread attention in…
“Groundwater is critical to combat coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Africa. Most people, especially in rural areas, depend on it for everything, including the crucial handwashing and cleaning required,” says Paul Orengoh, Program Director, African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), the apex body on water in Africa under the African Union.…
