resources. This is imperative if future disputes over shared aquifer resources are to be averted. 28Agreement between scientists is a necessary precursor to broader transnational governance 29 agreements in regard to shared water resources, and recent initiatives by the Orange-Senqu River 30Commission promise closer integration. 31 32
Transboundary Aquifer (TBA) management in part seeks to mitigate degradation of groundwater resources caused either by an imbalance of abstraction between countries or by cross border pollution. Fourteen potential TBAs were identified within a hydrogeological mapping programme based on simple hydrogeological selection criteria for the Southern African Development Community region. These have been reassessed against a set of five data categories, of which (1) groundwater flow and vulnerability is perceived as the overarching influence on the activity level of each TBA, while other contributing categories are (2) knowledge and understanding, (3) governance capability, (4) social/demand and (5) environmental issues. These assessments enable the TBAs to be classified according to their need for cross-border co-operation and management. The study shows that only two of the fourteen TBAs have potential to be the cause of tension between neighbouring states, while nine are potentially troublesome and three are unlikely to become problematic even in the future. The classification highlights the need to focus on data gathering to enable improved understanding of the TBAs that are potentially troublesome in the future due, for example, to change in demographics and climate.
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