Groundwater holds potential for supplying Africa’s agricultural
water needs. It is more climate resilient than surface waters – this should not
be underestimated – and is more plentiful (estimated at more than 100 times
that of annual renewable freshwater resources) (MacDonald et al. 2012). However, it has a number of drawbacks, namely its
uneven distribution, the uncertainty of its quality and difficulty to manage.
It will not be suitable, based on current understanding and technology, to look
to it as a widespread supply of water for the majority of Africa’s agricultural
demands. However, where it can be used appropriately, it should be. I hope that
the future may start to deal with the drawbacks I have mentioned, such as
innovations in cheaper and more efficient transportation of water, and so I am
not writing off groundwater just yet.
