The SADC Groundwater Management Institute (SADC-GMI) is the implementing agency of the project “Sustainable Groundwater Management in SADC Member States”. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Multi Donor Trust Fund Corporation in International Waters in Africa (CIWA) through the World Bank. One of SADC-GMI’s mandates is to advocate for joint management of Transboundary Aquifers (TBAs) in the SADC region to ensure equitable and sustainable use and protection of groundwater. SADC-GMI has therefore dedicated part of the project funding to undertake research in the Eastern Kalahari-Karoo Basin Transboundary Aquifer (EKK-TBA) shared between Botswana and Zimbabwe.
The EKK_TBA is located on the plateau-like watershed between the Zambezi River to the north and Nata River to the west and covers an area of about 34,000 km2. The aquifer consists of Karoo sandstones partially covered by basaltic volcanics with some primary porosity and fractured in places, resulting in confined to semi-confined aquifers. The TBA has been classified as “Troublesome[1]” in which some form of international collaboration in monitoring, management and apportionment is needed in order to avoid confrontation in the future should demographics, land use or climate change push governments to embark on groundwater development in the region in order to meet increasing water demand. The EKK-TBA supports about 240,000 people and receives less than 500 mm rainfall per year.
[1] Davies, J., Robins, N., Farr, J., Sorensen, J., Beetlestone, P., Cobbing, J., 2013 Identifying transboundary aquifers in need of international resource management in the Southern African Development Community region Hydrogeology Journal 21, 321–330. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-012-0903-x