NBI builds regional capacity of groundwater professionals using the Groundwater Modeling System (GMS) software

As part of its commitment to creating awareness and expanding the understanding of groundwater resources, the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) – through the Groundwater Project – is building regional capacity in the detailed investigation, mapping, assessment and modeling of the Nile Basin aquifer systems.

The Groundwater Project is a five-year project (2020-2025) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in the amount of US$ 5.3 million and an additional US$ 27.9 million channeled through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), co-financed from countries and partners. The project is being implemented in three selected shared aquifers shared by a total of seven Nile Basin Member States. The selected aquifers are: Kagera aquifer (shared by Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda); Mount Elgon aquifer (shared by Kenya and Uganda); and the Gedaref-Adigrat aquifer (shared by Ethiopia and Sudan).

From November 14-18, 2022 groundwater professionals from the seven project countries have convened in Nairobi to build their capacity on the developed models using a software application called Groundwater Modeling System (GMS).

This training is considered crucial towards not only capacity strengthening but also as far as ownership and sustainability for groundwater resources management and monitoring are concerned.

Benefits from the Groundwater Project include:

• Improved understanding of the interaction between surface and ground waters including opportunities for artificial recharge when surface water is abundant or to harvest runoff in arid and semi-arid regions
• Mapping of aquifers and understanding the quality and quantity of water resources available
• Better defined sub-basin and national climate change scenarios through the knowledge on groundwater
• Build in resilience strategies to adapt to potential climate change and ensure sustainable use of groundwater use towards effective risk-reduction adaptation measures.

The seven participating countries will also be equipped to achieve and report progress towards water-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – specifically SDG 6, SDG 2 and SDG 15 (Access to Water) SDG 2 (Food and Nutrition Security), and SDG 15 (manage forests,).