Challenges in groundwater resource management in coastal aquifers of East Africa: Investigations and lessons learnt in the Comoros Islands, Kenya and Tanzania
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Date
2016
Authors
Jean, C.C.
Cassidy, R.
Obando, Joy Apiyo
Robins, N.
Ibrahim, K.
Melchioly, S.
Mjemah, I.
Shauri, H.
Bourhane, A.
Mohamed, I.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier B.V.
Abstract
Study region: Coastal areas of Kenya (Kilifi County), Tanzania (Kilwa district) and Comoros(Ngazidja island), East Africa.Study focus: Research aimed to understand the physical and societal drivers of groundwa-ter accessibility and identify critical aspects of groundwater access and knowledge gapsthat require further monitoring and research. Interdisciplinary societal, environmental andhydrogeological investigations were consistently undertaken in the three areas consid-ered as exemplars of the diversity of the coastal fringes of the wider region. This paperfocuses on the hydrogeological outcomes of the research, framed within the principalsocio-environmental issues identified.New hydrological insights: Results confirm the fundamental importance of coastal ground-water resources for the development of the region and the urgent need to matchgroundwater development with demographic and economic growth. Hydrogeologicalknowledge is fragmented, groundwater lacks a long-term monitoring infrastructure andinformation transfer from stakeholders to users is limited. Current trends in demog-raphy, climate, sea-level and land-use are further threatening freshwater availability.Despite possessing high-productivity aquifers, water quality from wells and boreholes isgenerally impacted by saltwater intrusion. Shallow large-diameter wells, following the tra-ditional model of these areas, consistently prove to be less saline and more durable thandeeper small-diameter boreholes. However, promoting the use of large numbers of shallow
Description
Research article
Keywords
Groundwater, Coastal aquifer, Eastern Africa, Environmental change, Governance, Community engagement
Citation
Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies 5 (2016) 179–199