Africa
Initiative Promoting Cooperation on Transboundary Groundwater for Africa
Only in Africa about 40 transboundary aquifers were identified so far.
Source: BGR/UNESCO
Groundwater is of vital importance for Africa as about 60 to 90 % of all communities are served by this resource. The conditions for using groundwater differ substantially and require specialised know-how. This is even more obvious in cases of transboundary aquifers because usage of groundwater on one side of a border can considerably influence the situation on other sides.
As a result, more than 38 transboundary aquifers were identified and mapped. Despite the importance of these basins for the well-being of people in many countries, there are only few attempts so far to cooperate on their management. While cooperation on surface watercourses in Africa has gained more and more attention, fostering the creation and sharing of benefits from transboundary aquifers remains still a duty for today’s and future water managers.
To support transboundary groundwater management, in cooperation with international and African experts BGR prepared a needs assessment. The aim was to capture the extent to which groundwater is adressed in the management of international basin organisations in Africa and what requirements are necessary to improve or integrate groundwater management. In a consultative process with representatives of the basin organisations a trainingprogramme was developed.
The integration of groundwater management into basin organisations is supported in several regional projects.
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