Windhoek, Namibia: from conceptualising to operating and expanding a MAR scheme in a fractured quartzite aquifer for the city’s water security

Murray, Ricky; Louw, Don; Merwe, Ben van der; Peters, I.

doi:10.1007/s40899-018-0213-0

Cited by 18 publications

(21 citation statements)

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“…With high evaporation rates in CAN, several studies identified the Windhoek Managed Aquifer Recharge Scheme (WMARS) as the best option to improve water supply security [45,46]. The primary objective of the WMARS is to increase the internal long-term sustainable water supply capacity of the city by inserting water into an aquifer during times of high rainfall and abstract it under controlled conditions during times of drought [42].…”

Section: Windhoek Managed Aquifer Recharge Schemementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The primary objective of the WMARS is to increase the internal long-term sustainable water supply capacity of the city by inserting water into an aquifer during times of high rainfall and abstract it under controlled conditions during times of drought [42]. The Windhoek aquifer is used as a water bank, whereby treated surface water is transferred to the aquifer for safe storage for later use as needed [46]. Surface water from the city's supply dams is used and a portion of reclaimed water; both of which are treated to drinking quality standards prior to recharge [39].…”

Section: Windhoek Managed Aquifer Recharge Schemementioning

confidence: 99%

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The Story of Water in Windhoek: A Narrative Approach to Interpreting a Transdisciplinary Process

Scott

Iipinge

Mfune

et al. 2018

Water

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The aim of the paper is to present a story about the 2015 to early 2017 Windhoek drought in the context of climate change while using the narrative approach. The story that is presented here is derived from the engagement of participants in a transdisciplinary, co-productive workshop, the Windhoek Learning Lab 1 (March 2017), as part of the FRACTAL Research Programme. The results show that the story starts with the ‘complication’ where the drought had reached crisis levels where the water demand increasingly exceeded the supply in the face of the drought. The City of Windhoek (CoW) was unable to address the problem, particularly the recharging of the Windhoek aquifer due to lack of funding. Phase 2 then shows four reactions to the drought: water conservation by water demand management; a Water Saving campaign; the Windhoek Managed Aquifer Recharge Scheme; and, the setting up of the Cabinet Technical Committee of Supply Security. The resolution of the story, Phase 4, is when the national government instructs NamWater to provide the funds for CoW to complete the recharging of the aquifer, which supplied water to the city at the last minute at the end of 2016. The final situation of the story is that ongoing collaborative work by CoW with FRACTAL on the city’s burning issues is planned to integrate climate change into future decision making for the longer term. The main actors in the story are the Ministry of Agriculture and NamWater as hero and villain, and CoW a hero, with the victims of the story, the residents of informal settlements. The main learnings from this story are that the lack of decentralization of power and resources serve to exacerbate water crises at the local level and hamper climate adaptation, despite a proactive and innovative local municipality. The paper also shows that the narrative approach provides the thread of the story to simplify a very complex set of arrangements and contradictions.

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Section: Windhoek Managed Aquifer Recharge Schemementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Windhoek Managed Aquifer Recharge Schemementioning

confidence: 99%

The Story of Water in Windhoek: A Narrative Approach to Interpreting a Transdisciplinary Process

Scott

Iipinge

Mfune

et al. 2018

Water

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“…The next four papers describe four operational sites each of which has more than ten years history. Murray et al (2018) describe the investigations and progress made in expanding a MAR scheme to secure drinking water supplies for Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. This uses a combination of natural water and advance-treated recycled water before injecting about 0.5 Mm 3 /year in complex fractured quartzite aquifers.…”

Section: Reflections On Operational Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…These steps may take considerable time, especially for projects that have great strategic value or have high perceived risk. In cases such as Windhoek (Murray et al 2018), it has taken a decade to confidently produce crucial strategic reserves in complex geology. A key message is to start investigations well before the MAR project is actually needed to provide the necessary confidence that it will perform as required.…”

Section: Conclusion On Planning and Implementing Mar Projectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in multi-stage planning and implementing managed aquifer recharge for integrated water management

Dillon

Pavelic

Nava

et al. 2018

Sustain. Water Resour. Manag.

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Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is the umbrella term for a range of technologies that enable the integrated use and management of surface water and groundwater to achieve a wide and growing range of social, economic and environmental benefits. The extent and variety of its applications and benefits have mushroomed in recent years as demonstrated in the suite of papers contained within this Special Issue of Sustainable Water Resources Management. This paper introduces the Special Issue and draws together some insights arising from the findings of these papers. Managed aquifer recharge projects normally evolve through a development cycle that covers planning, investigations, pilot scale trials and then implementation of fullscale projects. This Special Issue starts with four papers that synthesize information from a large number of MAR sites, to demonstrate the scope and geographic distribution of international efforts in MAR, factors affecting the economics of MAR projects, and efforts to find metrics to compare their performance among sites and over time. Then there are four papers describing some significant and widely contrasting completed MAR projects in four continents covering their development, what has been learned and some operational issues. Given this context, the next five papers explore the implementation and evaluation of pilot projects in three countries. These papers address issues ranging from hydrogeological characterization, evaluating impacts on groundwater-dependent ecosystems to community participation. All papers to this point give context to the final five papers that show the planning and preliminary studies performed to select MAR sites, to design pilot projects or to explore the feasibility of large-scale MAR programs. Arranging the sequence of papers in this way is intended to yield an understanding of the need for the investigations and modelling to produce viable projects, and to help readers to consider some important practical questions. What steps are needed for any given project to: define objectives; build partnerships; engage with communities; assemble evidence of technical viability, sustainability and safety; secure funding; design and construct efficiently; streamline operations; and finally to monitor the extent to which a completed project met its goals? These papers were developed out of a broader selection of papers presented at the 9th International Symposium on Managed Aquifer Recharge (ISMAR9), Mexico City, June 2016. They are a companion to another Special Issue arising from ISMAR9, published in the journal Water on the complementary theme "Water Quali ty Consi derat ions for Manag ed Aquif er Recharge Systems" edited by Prof. Dr. Pieter Stuyfzand and Dr. Niels Hartog (2017). These Issues are a contribution of the International Association of Hydrogeologists Commission on Managing Aquifer Recharge (IAH-MAR) to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge for wise application of MAR. Keywords Integrated water management • Aquifer storage and recovery • Seasonal and lo...

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“…Fischer, G., Tubiello, F.N., Velthuizen, H. & Wiberg, D.A., 2007 Foster, S.S.D., Tuinhof, A. & Garduno, H., 2006, Groundwater Annex 3 -Case study of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) in Windhoek, Namibia This summary is based on Murray et al (2016), with contributions from the other references listed.…”

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confidence: 99%

Assessment of Groundwater Challenges and Opportunities in Support of Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

2018

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Scope This report confirms that groundwater, if managed sustainably, can be an important development resource across the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. The report presents data related to groundwater resource characteristics and highlights the opportunities and challenges presented in promoting sustainable and resilient groundwater development in the region. Groundwater has significant potential to support human and economic development in SSA, as it has done in other global regions. This report recommends investment in expanding groundwater development as an integral component of national water resources strategy for countries in SSA. Investment in groundwater can be financially viable and a wise policy option to support socioeconomic development if safeguards specific to groundwater are incorporated into investment programs. The expansion should be designed within a sustainable framework responsive to the special social and cultural and economic features of groundwater resources, compounded by their special hydrological, environmental and engineering dimensions to guide sustainable development of this important component of water resources. Water and development challenges in SSA SSA suffers from underdevelopment of its water sector, with significant human and economic consequences. Groundwater development could make significant contributions to regional poverty reduction and shared prosperity goals. SSA is constrained by 315 million people remaining without access to improved drinking water (across both rural and urban areas); only 3 percent of total cultivated land is irrigated (compared to 37 percent in Asia); and recurrent water scarcity and drought events impact millions (for example, SSA is currently in the grip of its worst drought in 35 years, with 38 million people at risk across eastern and southern Africa). Such absolute and economic water scarcity contributes to chronic food insecurity, environmental migration and civil instability being endemic in some SSA countries. Major climate and non-climate drivers are forecast to place further pressure on water resources in SSA, threatening development progress achieved to date. In addition to the chronic challenges experienced today, regional increases in water demand between 2005 and 2030 are projected to reach almost 300 percent-up to three times higher than any other global region. Greatest non-climate demand is expected to come from agriculture and the municipal and domestic sectors. Urban populations are predicted to triple by 2050 and rural populations are expected to continue to grow, by approximately 45 percent by 2050. While climate drivers will vary across SSA, generally accelerated warming is likely to increase precipitation in wet months and decrease precipitation in dry months, increase desertification, reduce river flow, increase risk of flash flooding, and reduce long-cycle crop production. Water resources development will need to keep pace with climate and non-climate drivers. As traditional sources of surface water become scarce and expen...

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Windhoek, Namibia: from conceptualising to operating and expanding a MAR scheme in a fractured quartzite aquifer for the city’s water security

Cited by 18 publications

References 0 publications

The Story of Water in Windhoek: A Narrative Approach to Interpreting a Transdisciplinary Process

The Story of Water in Windhoek: A Narrative Approach to Interpreting a Transdisciplinary Process

Advances in multi-stage planning and implementing managed aquifer recharge for integrated water management

Assessment of Groundwater Challenges and Opportunities in Support of Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

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