Namibia - Prospecting of groundwater in Northeast Namibia and aerogeophysical investigations

Country / Region: Namibia / AfricaFocal Point: Groundwater

Begin of project: August 1, 2002

End of project: August 1, 2006

Status of project: September 24, 2008

Aerogeophysical water prospecting in Namibia. Source: BGR

For more than ten years there is a cooperation between Gemany and Namibia in the water sector. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is financing the project “Prospecting of groundwater in Northern Namibia and aerogeophysical investigations” in which the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) cooperates with the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR).

Surface water is scarcely and only temporarily available in the Northeast of Namibia where population growths steadily. Groundwater as a reliable water resource is neither sufficiently investigated nor explored. In the past, drilling campaigns had a low success rate because of  complex change of saline and sweet aquifers and the knowledge deficiency related to the localisation and quantification of water resources. The target regions investigated by the project were Oshivelo, South-Eastern Caprivi and Otjinene. With a combination of geophysical, aerogeophysical and hydrogeological field methods sweet water zones should vertically and horizontally be outlined versus saline water areas.

Dam water provision for Namibia’s capital Windhoek is the reason for serious losses of water by evaporation. DWA is checking whether treated water could be infiltrated into the Windhoek aquifer for a storage without evaporation. For this the geologic characteristics of the aquifer, e.g. the rock cleavage had to be studied, partially by implementation of aerogeophysical investigations.

The project activities enhanced the expertise of the Namibian scientists and Engineers of the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) and the Geological Survey (GSN) in a practical context.

The German contribution amounts to about 2,200,000 € (funding by BMZ).

Technical Cooperation with Namibia

Project contributions:

• TC Namibia: Groundwater Investigations in Oshivelo, Eastern Caprivi and Omaheke
• TZ Namibia: Grundwassererkundung in Oshivelo, in Ost-Caprivi und in Omaheke
• TZ-Projekt Namibia

Partner:

Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Forestry (MAWF) - Directorate Water Resource Management

Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN)