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Review: Groundwater resource potential and status of groundwater resource development in Ethiopia

Revue: Potentiel de ressource en eaux souterraines et état de développement des ressource en eaux souterraines en Ethiopie

Revisión: Recursos potenciales y estado de desarrollo del agua subterránea en Etiopía

综述:埃塞俄比亚地下水潜力及地下水资源开发现状

Revisão: Potencial dos recursos hídricos subterrâneos e status do desenvolvimento dos recursos hídricos subterrâneos na Etiópia

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Abstract

The groundwater resources potential of Ethiopia is estimated to be about 40 billion cubic meters. Groundwater has been used as the main source of water supply since the 1970s for the main cities, towns and dispersed rural communities across the country, where provision of reticulated surface-water schemes is often expensive because of initial project construction costs and poor water quality. The exponential growth of the urban population and agriculture-led industrial development have resulted in greater attention to groundwater as the potentially cost-effective water supply source. As part of the growing focus on the use of groundwater, the Ethiopian government is currently implementing irrigation projects. One plan involves nine irrigation projects covering an estimated area of 8,000 ha, being developed on a pilot scale, with 9,000 test wells, 28,000 monitoring wells and 14,657 spring improvements. If this unprecedented Ethiopian groundwater-centred development plan is implemented successfully at such a scale, it is highly likely that its success will persuade other Sub-Saharan developing nations to put in place the necessary policies, regulations and investment for infrastructure and capacity development for exploring, exploiting and managing their groundwater resources.

Résumé

Le potentiel de ressources en eau souterraine de l’Ethiopie est estimé à environ 40 milliards de mètre cube. Les eaux souterraines ont été employées comme source principale d’approvisionnement en eau depuis les années 1970 pour les villes principales, les villes secondaires et les communautés rurales dispersées à travers le pays, où la fourniture de réseaux de distribution à partir d’eau de surface est souvent chère en raison des coûts initiaux de construction et de la faible qualité de l’eau. La croissance exponentielle de la population urbaine et le développement agro-industriel ont suscité une plus grande attention aux eaux souterraines en tant que source d’approvisionnement en eau potentiellement rentable. Dans le cadre de l’intérêt croissant pour l’utilisation des eaux souterraines, le gouvernement éthiopien met en application actuellement des projets d’irrigation. Un plan comporte neuf projets d’irrigation couvrant une surface estimée de 8,000 ha, étant développé à une échelle pilote, avec 9,000 puits d’essais, 28,000 piézomètres et l’exploitation de 14,657 sources. Si ce programme éthiopien sans précédent de développement centré sur l’eau souterraine est mis en application avec succès à une telle échelle, il est fortement probable que son succès persuade d’autres pays sub-sahariens en voie de développement à mettre en place les politiques, les règlements et l’investissement nécessaires pour le développement d’infrastructures et de moyens pour explorer, exploiter et gérer leurs ressources en eaux souterraines.

Resumen

El potencial de recursos hídricos subterráneos de Etiopía se estima en unos 40 mil millones de metros cúbicos. El agua subterránea se ha utilizado como la principal fuente de suministro de agua desde la década de 1970 para las principales ciudades, pueblos y comunidades rurales dispersas en todo el país, donde la provisión de planes de redes de agua superficial es a menudo costosa debido a los costos iniciales de construcción del proyecto y a la mala calidad del agua. El crecimiento exponencial de la población urbana y el desarrollo industrial liderado por la agricultura han dado como resultado una mayor atención a las aguas subterráneas como fuente de suministro potencialmente rentable de agua. Como parte del creciente enfoque en el uso de aguas subterráneas, el gobierno de Etiopía está implementando proyectos de riego. Un plan involucra nueve proyectos de irrigación que cubren un área estimada de 8,000 ha, que se están desarrollando a escala piloto, con 9,000 pozos de prueba, 28,000 pozos de monitoreo y 14,657 mejoras de manantiales. Si este plan de desarrollo etíope centrado en el agua subterránea sin precedentes se implementa con éxito a tal escala, es muy probable que su éxito persuadirá a otras naciones subsaharianas en desarrollo a implementar las políticas, regulaciones e inversiones necesarias para la infraestructura y el desarrollo de capacidades para explorar, explotar y gestionar sus recursos hídricos subterráneos.

摘要

埃塞俄比亚地下水资源潜力估计为400立方米。自从20世纪70年代以来地下水一直是全国主要城市、乡镇及分散的农村社区的主要供水水源,由于项目建设开支以及很差的水质,网状地表水计划供水通常很昂贵。城市人口的指数增长以及以农业为指导的工业发展使人们更加注重地下水作为潜在的合算的供水水源。作为日益关注地下水利用的一方,埃塞俄比亚政府目前正在实施灌溉项目。一项计划涉及九个灌溉项目,大约覆盖8,000公顷的土地,现正在试点实施,共计打9000口实验井、28000口监测井以及改良14,657眼泉。如果这项史无前例的埃塞俄比亚集中于地下水的开发计划以这个规模得以成功完成,项目的成功很可能将说服撒哈拉以南发展中国家为探索、开发和管理地下水资源而进行的基础设施建设和能力发展制定必要的政策、规章和进行投资。

Resumo

O potencial dos recursos hídricos subterrâneos da Etiópia é estimado em cerca de 40 bilhões de metros cúbicos. A água subterrânea tem sido usada como fonte principal de abastecimento de água desde as décadas de 1970 para as principais cidades, vilarejos e comunidades rurais dispersas pelo país, onde a provisão de esquemas de águas superficiais reticulados é muitas vezes cara devido aos custos iniciais de construção do projeto e baixa qualidade da água. O crescimento exponencial da população urbana e o desenvolvimento industrial liderado pela agricultura resultaram em maior atenção às águas subterrâneas como a fonte de abastecimento de água potencialmente econômica. Como parte do crescente foco no uso das águas subterrâneas, o governo etíope está atualmente implementando projetos de irrigação. Um plano envolve nove projetos de irrigação cobrindo uma área estimada de 8,000 ha, sendo desenvolvido em escala piloto, com 9,000 poços de teste, 28,000 poços de monitoramento e melhorias em 14,657 nascentes. Se este plano de desenvolvimento sem precedentes, centrado nas águas subterrâneas etíopes for implementado com sucesso em tal escala, é altamente provável que seu sucesso possa persuadir outras nações subsaarianas a implementar políticas, regulamentações e investimentos necessários para infraestrutura e desenvolvimento da capacidade de exploração, explotação e gerenciamento de seus recursos hídricos subterrâneos.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Prof. Daniel Olago and an anonymous reviewer for their comments, which substantially improved the quality of the paper.

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  1. Department of Earth Science, Unversity of Western Cape, Robert Sebukwe Raod, Bellville, Western Cape, South Africa

    Haile A. Mengistu

  2. School of Geological Sciences, University of the Kwazulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban, South Africa

    Molla B. Demlie

  3. School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag X3, P.O. Box Wits 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Tamiru A. Abiye

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Mengistu, H.A., Demlie, M.B. & Abiye, T.A. Review: Groundwater resource potential and status of groundwater resource development in Ethiopia. Hydrogeol J 27, 1051–1065 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-019-01928-x

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