Groundwater is a primary source of drinking water and the invisible part of the hydrological cycle. An estimated 75 percent of the African population relies on groundwater for their drinking water. In rural regions, the infrastructure is limited and access to reliable water source is unapproachable due to different hydrogeological regions.
Countries like Tanzania, Uganda and Nigeria have over 70 percent population residing in rural areas where drinking water is primarily obtained from groundwater. But there is not enough safely regulated drinking water in the nations despite enough rainfall. The unplanned urbanization and seasonal and annual variations in rainfall have reduced the natural recharging of groundwater. Even there is an increased groundwater contamination due to natural and man-made reasons.
To conserve water sources, the safe sanitation practices are often compromised. In rural areas of Tanzania, only 24 percent of people have access to basic sanitary services that contaminates the groundwater with nation experiencing frequent outbreaks of water-borne illnesses and losing over $206 million a year in economic losses said World Bank report of 2021. Similar circumstances are seen in Uganda, where pit toilets—mostly the traditional kind—remain the preferred sanitation option. Emptying and securely disposing of waste is a big challenge. In 2012, World Bank reported that this has further left Uganda losing UGX 389 billion, or $177 million with 8 lakh deaths in children under five due to diarrhea. Nigeria the highest number of people defecating in the open. The undigested fecal sludge from mostly pit toilets in the rural areas are either buried or dumped in the open resulting in the contamination the soil and water. This unimproved sanitation practices have costed the nation over 455 billion Nigerian Naira annually as per the World Bank report of 2012.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi had been carrying out several courses on groundwater management and safe management of faecal sludge in rural areas for the government officials of the partner countries. This online TOT course is designed for the government officials of the partner countries who are responsible for training the local government and the communities. The course will provide a comprehensive overview on managing the aquifers, drinking water source sustainability, linking the groundwater sources to safe management of faecal sludge, best policies and regulations existing in Global South in these areas.
Objective: The course gives guidance and train the practitioners and regulators on rural groundwater and sanitation to help them identify the region-specific challenges and develop a roadmap to reach a sustainable and safe groundwater reserve and sanitation practices.
Course content:
• Hydrogeological typologies
• Groundwater estimation methodologies
• Principles of groundwater recharge
• Basics of mapping aquifers
• Case study on aquifer mapping
• Planning for groundwater recharge
• Connecting groundwater sources and safe sanitation
• Safe onsite treatment of faecal sludge, reuse and safe disposal
The participants will get an understanding of the science and practical elements of groundwater, aquifer management, and safe sanitation practices through various case studies and expert interactions.
The course is completely online for a period of 15 days requiring 1 hour of involvement in a day.