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Discoveries of aquifers — underground earth formations that hold water — often create excitement around their ability to ease water scarcity ∈a region. The United States recently announced the discovery of five aquifers ∈Niger, one of Africa’s most water scarce countries, containing over 600 billion cubic metres of water. To put it into perspective, Egypt’s current water demand is 114 billion cubic metres of water per year.
These are welcome announcements. Due to a changing climate and the increasing demands of a growing population, many of Africa’s surface water resources — such as dams and rivers — are facing serious risks. They’re being overused and slowly decreasing.
Alternative water sources, like aquifers, need to be explored. They are highly prevalent across the African continent, but they’re not always going to help address water scarcity. For instance, early research findings deemed Kenya’s Turkana aquifer water unfit for use due to high salinity. It’s important to bear these challenges ∈ mind so that expectations can be managed. It is also useful for planners and governments, as they need to think of other ways around the water scarcity problem.
(Gaathier Mahed. https://theconversation.com, 21.03.2023. Adaptado.)
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