Publication: Appropriate Groundwater Management Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa: In Face of Demographic Pressure and Climatic Variability
Date
2011
ISSN
Published
2011
Author(s)
Abstract
This paper provides an overview of major
groundwater issues for Sub-Saharan Africa, with an
assessment of their policy implications in terms of
potential development and appropriate management. In terms
of construction time, capital outlay and drought resilience,
groundwater is the preferred source to meet most
water-supply demands, despite hydro geological complexity,
natural constraints on water well yields and quality, and
institutional weaknesses. The 'new developmental
agenda' relates to improving urban water-supply
security and expanding irrigated agriculture to meet these
challenges many countries need to undertake strategic
assessment of their groundwater and prioritize investment on
institutional strengthening so as to facilitate
appropriately-managed groundwater development. Without
effective use of available groundwater resources, improved
livelihoods and climate-change adaptation will prove much
more difficult to achieve.
Citation
“Tuinhof, Albert; Foster, Stephen; van Steenbergen, Frank; Talbi, Amal; Wishart, Marcus. 2011. Appropriate Groundwater Management Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa: In Face of Demographic Pressure and Climatic Variability. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/27363 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”