Challenges and Prospects of Advancing Groundwater Research in Ethiopian Aquifers: A Review

Abstract

Groundwater is a strategic resource in all climatic regions of Ethiopia, contributing about 80% of the domestic supply of urban and rural populations. However, little research has been available compared with extensive geographical coverage and increasing population growth rates. Hence, the present study aimed to review published groundwater research of Ethiopian aquifers to realize potential research challenges and suggest future research directions. We focused on groundwater potential, recharge process, and qualities. The total potential groundwater of the country ranges from 2.5 to 47 billion cubic meters. The study depicted that the mean annual recharge estimate varies from 24.9 mm to 457 mm at catchments scales. However, the overall country was about 39.1 mm. The study found a need for a detailed investigation of different factors susceptible to groundwater pollution, as some of the evaluations indicated exceeding acceptable standards. This study observed that the main challenge was the lack of data and convergence research trends. Henceforth, future research in different climate regions should focus on multifaceted technical and stakeholder settings. This study gives the insight to integrate palatable research findings with the national policy and decision-making process to enhance the sustainability of groundwater resources significantly.

Impacts and Implications of Land Use Land Cover Dynamics on Groundwater Recharge and Surface Runoff in East African Watershed

“…In Africa, the influence of LULC is much larger than climate variability [12]. The spatiotemporal variability of groundwater recharge and streamflow is essential in understanding the abstraction scenarios of water management [13,14]. Groundwater is a preferable water supply over surface water, while the extreme inter-annual rainfall variations stress surface water availability [15].…”

“…In developing countries such as Ethiopia, estimating GRSURQ is challenging because of the scarcity of relevant data [13]. Ethiopia has significant land and water resources, playing a minimum role in developing the national economy.…”

“…LULC change affects spatiotemporal scales of land surfaces, changing surface runoff, groundwater recharge, evapotranspiration, and river flow [36][37][38]. However, critical water stress has been faced due to information gaps in the decision-making process in most developing countries, including Ethiopia [13]. Understanding the hydrologic cycle to establish a suitable model for a watershed is crucial in planning and utilizing water resources.…”

“…The heterogeneity of variations in hydrological fluxes with LULC change over the years challenges how to realize the possible effects [54]. Qualifying and quantifying the spatiotemporal variations of groundwater recharge based on updated spatial information are indispensable for watershed sustainability [13,55]. Nonetheless, basic information on the spatiotemporal patterns of LULC change and its effect on GRSURQ in Ethiopia is rarely understood, while water and food security are central issues.…”

Rapid Urbanization and the Growing Water Risk Challenges in Ethiopia: The Need for Water Sensitive Thinking

“…Similarly, both urban and rural Ethiopians rely on groundwater for 70-80% of their household water supply. However, due to increased extraction and consumption, groundwater in urban areas is under severe pressure, resulting in water stress (Mengistu et al, 2021). Furthermore, despite the fact that groundwater research in Ethiopia is scarce, there is widespread agreement that unequal spatial distribution of groundwater potential leads to uneven water stress distribution (Razack et al, 2020).…”