New map of "Groundwater resources in the ECOWAS region" presented at the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar
At the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar (Senegal), the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), together with the British Geological Survey (BGS), the Bureau de recherches géologiques et minières (BRGM) and UNESCO, presented a hydrogeological map of the ECOWAS region of West Africa entitled "Groundwater resources in the ECOWAS region".
Presentation of the map "Groundwater Resources in the ECOWAS region"
The map is a contribution to the World-wide Hydrogeological Mapping and Assessment Programme (WHYMAP) of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP). It was developed under the auspices of the Pan-African Groundwater Programme (APAGroP) of the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW), the Water Resources Coordination Centre (WRCC) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Niger Basin Authority (NBA).
The new hydrogeological map of the ECOWAS region at a scale of 1 : 5 000 000 was produced by a consortium of BGR, BGS, BRGM, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC) to raise awareness of the potential and limitations of groundwater resources in the region. Groundwater plays an important role in providing water for agriculture and households in West Africa, with over 50% of the population depending on groundwater as their main source of drinking water.
The map shows the groundwater potential of the ECOWAS region in West Africa. For this purpose, the hydrogeological information of the entire region was harmonised and standardised. Older regional hydrogeological maps of West Africa were updated to provide a consistent regional overview that individual national maps cannot show. The map provides a quantitative assessment of aquifer productivity and shows the suitability of aquifers for water supply, but also the physical limits of groundwater development potential.
The 9th World Water Forum, this time themed "Water security for peace and development", is organised by the World Water Council together with the host country Senegal. The conference, taking place from 21 to 26 March 2022, is the world's largest event on water, bringing together over 30,000 participants and international experts from politics, multilateral institutions, academia, civil society and the private sector.
Printed copies of the new hydrogeological map of the ECOWAS region can be ordered from BGR or UNESCO. Digital versions of the map and the technical reports are available for download on the following WHYMAP website.
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