Groundwater-resource governance: Are governments and stakeholders responding to the challenge?

Foster, Stephen; Garduño, Héctor

doi:10.1007/s10040-012-0904-9

Cited by 81 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Groundwater resources underpin the daily existence of 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa [1]. Generally speaking, groundwater is widely present, of good quality, sufficient in quantity and affordable [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The database includes extensive information on features such as borehole yield, average depth, success rate, static groundwater level and electrical conductivity [3]. Although the value of this kind of information has been referred to in the past [6], our approach represents a methodological novelty in groundwater mapping because (1) borehole data has seldom (if ever) been used in practice with the degree of detail presented in this research; and (2) most of the existing literature relies on the inference of groundwater potential from indirect parameters such as lineament density, slope, geomorphological features, rainfall distribution, soil moisture and lithology [15][16][17][18]. Also, outcomes are presented at the commune scale, thus providing an overview of groundwater potential that is relevant at both national and local scales.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Commune-Level Groundwater Potential Map for the Republic of Mali

Díaz-Alcaide

Martínez‐Santos

Villarroya

2017

Water

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Abstract:Groundwater represents an essential resource in sub-Saharan Africa, where several hundred million people rely on aquifers for domestic supply. This paper presents a method to map groundwater potential in the Republic of Mali based on a spatially-distributed database of 26,040 boreholes. The database includes exhaustive information on key parameters such as borehole location, success rate of borehole production, depth, yield, static groundwater level or water quality. Representative variables were classified and interpreted jointly to develop a groundwater potential index for each of the 703 communes in Mali. This provides a methodological novelty because groundwater potential studies typically rely on indirect indicators such as lineaments, slope, soil moisture and landforms. Also, such large borehole databases have seldom been used to estimate groundwater potential. The highest indexes were obtained for the areas in and around the River Niger's Inner Delta, including southern Tombouctou and the central parts of the Ségou and Mopti Regions. The lower Precambrian formations, which include the country's thoroughly populated southern plateau, had moderate scores. The lowest groundwater potential was found in the northern part of the Kayes and Koulikoro Regions, as well as in the entire region of Kidal. By providing results at the commune scale, these outcomes show that groundwater potential across the country's geological and hydrogeological units can be highly variable, and that local and regional-scale information may be useful for groundwater management purposes. These results are policy-relevant in a context of rapid change and population growth, where groundwater resources can be expected to be increasingly relied upon in the coming years.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Commune-Level Groundwater Potential Map for the Republic of Mali

Díaz-Alcaide

Martínez‐Santos

Villarroya

2017

Water

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“…It is important to recognise that groundwater management systems mostly fail due to inadequate governance arrangements (Foster and Garduño, 2013). There is perpetual tension between groundwater as a common resource and protecting the rights of private appropriation of groundwater for use.…”

Section: Groundwater Protection -Regulatory Lessons From Internationamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Societies, in general, have little interest in the actual state of groundwater resources, but tend to have very high levels of interest in the environmental, social and economic services associated with groundwater when it is left in situ or extracted for a specific use (Moench et al, 2012). Thus, groundwater is inherently vulnerable to the so-called 'tragedy of the commons' (Ostrom, 1999) in which actual users and potential polluters act solely in their individual short-term interest rather than taking into account long-term communal considerations (Foster and Garduño, 2013). Braune and Adams (2013), in their regional diagnosis of groundwater governance for the Sub-Saharan Africa region, found that there is a serious lack of capacity at national, river basin and local levels, inadequate resource monitoring and assessment, lack of institutional development at the important local level, and a general lack of awareness and appreciation of its role, which together have a major region-wide impact on social and economic development.…”

Section: Groundwater Protection -Regulatory Lessons From Internationamentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of the challenges for groundwater governance during shale gas development in South Africa

Pietersen¹,

Levine

Matshini

et al. 2016

WSA

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As a prelude to potential development of South Africa's shale gas resources, it is critical to develop and implement effective groundwater governance arrangements. Existing policies and plans were analysed to determine whether critical gaps or barriers exist that could potentially lead to impacts on groundwater systems. Ten high-priority governance challenges were identified: (a) defining relevant metrics for baseline groundwater quality and availability; (b) developing guidelines for shale gas resource licensing, exploration, drilling, extraction, production, and completion; (c) defining and enforcing compliance monitoring systems; (d) dealing punitively with non-compliant operators; (e) mitigating and managing risks to prevent impairment of groundwater resources; (f) implementing a goal-based regulatory framework; g) enforcing strict chemical disclosure requirements; (h) coordinating across government departments and regulatory bodies meaningfully and productively; (i) implementing a framework for subsidiarity and support to local water management; and (j) providing an incentive framework that supports strong groundwater management and environmental protection. To overcome these challenges, it is recommended that a decentralised, polycentric, bottom-up approach involving multiple institutions is developed to adaptively manage shale gas development. This transition from the current rigid regulatory structure can foster cooperation and collaboration among key stakeholders. The use of a pro-active groundwater governance structure that can accommodate current, near-term, and long-term shale gas development is important for ensuring that future energy development in South Africa incorporates the influence of other simultaneous stressors such as climate (e.g. drought), landuse changes, population growth, industry, and competing demands for water.

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“…Misaligned incentives between decision makers are an additional factor behind poor water governance. As identified by Foster and Garduño (2013), the political economy is often driven by matters relating to lack of understanding of the status and dynamics of, and risks to, the groundwater-resource base, and a particular set of vested interests.…”

Section: Build Resilience Into Governance Regimesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Groundwater as a strategic resource for improved resilience: a case study from peri-urban Accra

Grönwall

Oduro–Kwarteng

2017

Environ Earth Sci

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Water insecurity is a growing concern globally, especially for developing countries, where a range of factors including urbanization are putting pressure on water provisioning systems. The role of groundwater and aquifers in buffering the effects of climate variability is increasingly acknowledged, but it can only be fully realized with a more robust understanding of groundwater as a resource, and how use of it and dependency on it differ. Accra and its hinterland exemplify an African city with chronic water shortages, where groundwater resources offer opportunities to improve resilience against recurring droughts and general water insecurity. Based on a mixed-methods study of a peri-urban township, it was found that for end users, particularly poor urban households, resilience is an every-day matter of ensuring access from different sources, for different purposes, while attention to drinking water safety is falling behind. Planners and decision makers should take their cue from how households have developed coping mechanisms by diversifying, and move away from the focus on large infrastructure and centralized water supply solutions. Conjunctive use, managed aquifer recharge, and suitable treatment measures are vital to make groundwater a strategic resource on the urban agenda.

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Groundwater-resource governance: Are governments and stakeholders responding to the challenge?

Cited by 81 publications

References 3 publications

A Commune-Level Groundwater Potential Map for the Republic of Mali

A Commune-Level Groundwater Potential Map for the Republic of Mali

An analysis of the challenges for groundwater governance during shale gas development in South Africa

Groundwater as a strategic resource for improved resilience: a case study from peri-urban Accra

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