Namibia to host SADC groundwater conference
‘Making the invisible visible’
The conference will take place from 16 to 18 November at Windhoek Country Club Resort, with a virtual option for those who cannot attend in person.
Namibia will host the fifth Southern African Development Community (SADC) groundwater conference, held under the theme ‘Groundwater: Making the invisible visible for socio-economic development’.
The conference will be convened by the SADC Groundwater Management Institute (SADC-GMI) in collaboration with the agriculture ministry and other regional and international partners.
According to a joint statement, it seeks to provide a platform to discuss ways of enhancing the contribution of groundwater to sustainability and ecosystem services for socio-economic development and climate change adaptation.
“This is important especially in the SADC region which faces many challenges requiring multi-dimensional solutions to address the many deficiencies at household level.”
The conference will take place from 16 to 18 November at Windhoek Country Club Resort, with a virtual option for those who cannot attend in person.
“This supreme event intends to deliberate on groundwater’s role in providing and sustaining ecosystem services, groundwater-dependent ecosystems’ contribution to livelihoods, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and enhancing access to water by strengthening the government frameworks,” it said.
Critical role
According to the statement, the main message from the conference will contribute to the agenda of the groundwater summit to be held in Paris in December and the United Nations 2023 water conference in New York in March.
Highly esteemed keynote speakers and presenters will tackle groundwater’s critical role and provide robust scientific solutions in enhancing groundwater contribution to socio-economic development in the SADC region and beyond.
SADC-GMI executive director James Sauramba said groundwater is key for socio-economic development, especially in the face of climate change, which has a negative impact on water and food security - not only in the SADC region, but globally.
He emphasised the need to elevate groundwater conversations, particularly its contribution to poverty alleviation and food security.
“SADC protocols and national policies and legislation do not talk much about operationalising mechanisms to recognise the significance of groundwater upon which about 70% of the population in the SADC region relies on for their primary livelihood activities for resilience.”
Recharge
Meanwhile, at a recent event in Windhoek, Professor Danie Vermeulen - dean of the faculty of natural and agricultural science at the University of the Free State - said only 42% of Namibia is underlain with aquifers and 16% by fractured rock aquifers.
Highly productive aquifers are classified as those with average borehole yields greater than 15 meters of water per hour, which occurs only in some 3% of the country.
It is estimated that on average only 1% of annual rainfall contributes to groundwater recharge. However, regional surface differences and geology must be taken into consideration and this therefore varies accordingly.
He added that fractures form conduits through which groundwater and pollution can move.
According to Vermeulen, the process by which groundwater is replenished is through water draining.
“Recharge does not include water held in the soil in the unsaturated zone that may be evaporated and taken up by plants or discharged at topographic lows.”
The source of recharge can be rainfall, irrigation infiltration or leakage from surface water bodies or adjacent aquifers, he added.
He explained that 400mm of rain is equal to 1% recharge of groundwater and 40 cubic meter of water per hectare per year.
“That is 20 diesel tanks full of water.”
Furthermore, irrigation needs 5 000 cubic meters of water per crop, therefore it will need rain on 125 hectares to irrigate one hectare, he said.
“Luckily, it does not always work this way as we also get episodic recharge.”
The conference will be convened by the SADC Groundwater Management Institute (SADC-GMI) in collaboration with the agriculture ministry and other regional and international partners.
According to a joint statement, it seeks to provide a platform to discuss ways of enhancing the contribution of groundwater to sustainability and ecosystem services for socio-economic development and climate change adaptation.
“This is important especially in the SADC region which faces many challenges requiring multi-dimensional solutions to address the many deficiencies at household level.”
The conference will take place from 16 to 18 November at Windhoek Country Club Resort, with a virtual option for those who cannot attend in person.
“This supreme event intends to deliberate on groundwater’s role in providing and sustaining ecosystem services, groundwater-dependent ecosystems’ contribution to livelihoods, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and enhancing access to water by strengthening the government frameworks,” it said.
Critical role
According to the statement, the main message from the conference will contribute to the agenda of the groundwater summit to be held in Paris in December and the United Nations 2023 water conference in New York in March.
Highly esteemed keynote speakers and presenters will tackle groundwater’s critical role and provide robust scientific solutions in enhancing groundwater contribution to socio-economic development in the SADC region and beyond.
SADC-GMI executive director James Sauramba said groundwater is key for socio-economic development, especially in the face of climate change, which has a negative impact on water and food security - not only in the SADC region, but globally.
He emphasised the need to elevate groundwater conversations, particularly its contribution to poverty alleviation and food security.
“SADC protocols and national policies and legislation do not talk much about operationalising mechanisms to recognise the significance of groundwater upon which about 70% of the population in the SADC region relies on for their primary livelihood activities for resilience.”
Recharge
Meanwhile, at a recent event in Windhoek, Professor Danie Vermeulen - dean of the faculty of natural and agricultural science at the University of the Free State - said only 42% of Namibia is underlain with aquifers and 16% by fractured rock aquifers.
Highly productive aquifers are classified as those with average borehole yields greater than 15 meters of water per hour, which occurs only in some 3% of the country.
It is estimated that on average only 1% of annual rainfall contributes to groundwater recharge. However, regional surface differences and geology must be taken into consideration and this therefore varies accordingly.
He added that fractures form conduits through which groundwater and pollution can move.
According to Vermeulen, the process by which groundwater is replenished is through water draining.
“Recharge does not include water held in the soil in the unsaturated zone that may be evaporated and taken up by plants or discharged at topographic lows.”
The source of recharge can be rainfall, irrigation infiltration or leakage from surface water bodies or adjacent aquifers, he added.
He explained that 400mm of rain is equal to 1% recharge of groundwater and 40 cubic meter of water per hectare per year.
“That is 20 diesel tanks full of water.”
Furthermore, irrigation needs 5 000 cubic meters of water per crop, therefore it will need rain on 125 hectares to irrigate one hectare, he said.
“Luckily, it does not always work this way as we also get episodic recharge.”
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