Groundwater matters

The World has observed Water Day which was instituted by the UN General Assembly as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The Day was first celebrated in 1993.

This year’s theme: “Groundwater – Making the invisible Visible,” is a wakeup call on humanity to redirect attention to this essential global resource that provides the largest store of freshwater, apart from the world’s ice caps. Groundwater is simply water obtained from below the earth’s surface. It plays an important role in the water cycle, such that rivers, lakes and wetlands are the surface manifestations of groundwater. There is a synergy between the two: as surface water resources exchange flow with the groundwater reservoir that feeds them when they need water.

Groundwater takes some of the flow of surface water when it is present in excess, especially during heavy rains and floods. It is a vital water supply for humanity, providing as much as 50% of drinking water of the global population and accounts for 43 percent of all water used for irrigation. It is a comparatively safe and reliable natural resource, which can often be found close to the final consumers. It does not require large investments in terms of infrastructure and treatment, as it often is necessary, when harvesting surface water. Of the world’s population of 7.6 billion, at least two billion people depend exclusively on groundwater as their primary source of water to meet their basic daily water needs through wells and boreholes.

Additionally, groundwater controls many features on the earth’s surface. For instance, the depth of the water table is said to be partly responsible for different plant species occupying different positions along the slopes from hills to valleys. Also, underground caves and sinkholes are created by the action of flowing groundwater.  Ghana’s Water Policy identifies underground water as one of the major sources of water supply in the country. The Policy notes that groundwater is used as the first choice among other options for community water supplies, whenever it is available. This is because it is more reliable throughout the year and in periods of drought, and generally does not require treatment.  It is estimated that groundwater contributes about 62 percent of the total water requirement of Ghana, while contributing an average of 67% to Northern Ghana’s domestic water needs. Overall, around 41 % of households in Ghana depend on groundwater for their water supply.

However, like other natural resources including plants, wild animals and pollinators such as bees, groundwater sources continue to face many threats. Results from a 2020 global groundwater quality assessment, noted three major threats to groundwater as anthropocentric or human induced contaminants, naturally occurring contaminants and climate change.

Clearly, the continuous use of some agrochemicals, improper treatment and disposal of solid and liquid waste including human faeces as well as discharge into the environment of untreated industrial waste are polluting and threatening underground water resources. Also, the excessive abstraction of groundwater was identified as another major threat. The report was produced by the International Groundwater Resource Assessment Centre in collaboration with the Friends of Groundwater, as part of the World Water Quality Alliance and United Nations Environment Programme’s plan towards a future global assessment of groundwater quality. It calls for climate change to be considered as a major element, whenever groundwater quality assessment is being done, because rising sea levels have a significant impact on coastal groundwater resources through coastal flooding and rapid seawater intrusion.

In Ghana, the potential for increasing groundwater uses is faced with challenges including salinity, dry wells and boreholes syndrome among others.  The good news is that there were regulations and legislation aimed at managing and developing the ground water resources. The key regulation is the Drilling Licence and Groundwater Development Regulations, 2006 LI 1827, sponsored by the Water Resources Commission and passed by Parliament in 2006.The purpose of LI 1827 is to provide licences to companies that prospect for and drill water wells; regulate in an environmentally sustainable manner the development of Ghana’s groundwater resources; and gather information on groundwater resources. Regulation 23 of LI 1827 makes it an offence punishable by law to work as or engage an unlicensed driller.”

By Ama Kudom-Agyeman, an Environmental Communicator

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