Abstract
Climatic variability and change result in unreliable and uncertain water availability and contribute to water insecurity in Africa, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas and where water storage infrastructure is limited. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR), which comprises purposeful recharge and storage of surface runoff and treated wastewater in aquifers, serves various purposes, of which a prominent one is to provide a means to mitigate adverse impact of climate variability. Despite clear scope for this technology in Africa, the prevalence and range of MAR experiences in Africa have not been extensively examined. The objective of this article is provide an overview of MAR progress in Africa and to inform the potential for future use of this approach in the continent. Information on MAR from 52 cases in Africa listed in the Global MAR Portal and collated from relevant literature was analyzed. Cases were classified according to 13 key characteristics including objective of the MAR project, technology applied, biophysical conditions, and technical and management challenges. Results of the review indicate that: (i) the extent of MAR practice in Africa is relatively limited, (ii) the main objective of MAR in Africa is to secure and augment water supply and balance variability in supply and demand, (iii) the surface spreading/infiltration method is the most common MAR method, (iv) surface water is the main water source for MAR, and (v) the total annual recharge volume is about 158 Mm3/year. MAR schemes exist in both urban and rural Africa, which exemplify the advancement of MAR implementation as well as its out scaling potential. Further, MAR schemes are most commonly found in areas of high inter-annual variability in water availability. If properly planned, implemented, managed, maintained and adapted to local conditions, MAR has large potential in securing water and increasing resilience in Africa. Ultimately, realizing the full potential of MAR in Africa will require undertaking hydrogeological and hydrological studies to determine feasibility of MAR, especially in geographic regions of high inter-annual climate variability and growing water demand. This, supported by increased research to gauge success of existing MAR projects and to address challenges, would help with future siting, design and implementation of MAR in Africa.
Highlights
Challenges posed by climate variability and change in Africa are widely recognized [1].Sadoff et al [2] highlight how rainfall variability disrupts productivity of rain-fed agriculture, contributes to disasters associated with floods and droughts, and stalls economic growth
The Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) cases are concentrated in nine countries in Africa
MAR is practiced in greatest abundance in South Africa with 17 reported cases, followed by Tunisia with 11 cases, Kenya with eight cases, and Algeria with five cases (Figure 1)
Summary
Sadoff et al [2] highlight how rainfall variability disrupts productivity of rain-fed agriculture, contributes to disasters associated with floods and droughts, and stalls economic growth. Council on Water (AMCOW) report [3] state that recurrent droughts in sub-Saharan Africa are a dominant climate risk that compromises livelihoods, water and food security and exerts a major negative effect on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in one third of the continent’s countries. With increasing climate variability, frequency of extreme events, and population growth, water development in Africa needs to go forward in ways that consider all water sources in conjunction to enhance sustainable, reliable, climate-smart and equitable water availability and access [5]
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