Ramotswa Aquifer to benefit Botswana, South Africa

Ramotswa Aquifer project is set to support a long-term joint vision and cooperation on the shared groundwater resources of the upper Limpopo region where Botswana and South Africa potentially share significant and valuable fresh underground water resources.

This was revealed by Andrew Genco, a Geophysicist and Geospatial Analyst at XRI Blue- South Africa, after conducting a helicopter-borne geophysical survey of the Ramotswa Aquifer, along the border of Botswana and South Africa.

Responding to The Midweek Sun questions Genco said the purpose of the survey is to model the subsurface resistivity structure to increase the understanding of surface and ground water resources in the project area. He said flights began on February 12th and are expected to continue until this Friday.

“The project will facilitate joint management and better groundwater governance focused on coordination, scientific knowledge, social redress and environmental sustainability, in order to reduce poverty and inequities and to increase prosperity, livelihoods and food security in the face of climate change and variability”, he said.

Genco stated that the project aims to increase the recognition of the importance and vulnerability of the transboundary Ramotswa aquifer. Improved knowledge of the extent of the transboundary aquifer resources and the hydrogeology under present and future climate and population projections would be realised, he explained.

“We want to establish national and cross-border dialogue and cooperation on the Ramotswa and further encourage international cooperation on transboundary aquifers in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. There will be development of tools for shared and harmonised management and monitoring of the groundwater resources.”

He stated that the project will contribute through multi-level diplomacy to the building of trust and transparency related to the use and development of the aquifer resources in the border region, and it will encourage the regional member states to enter into agreements on their shared aquifer(s).