The Hunger Games: Groundwater is Gold🗺️

Hey everybody, welcome back to my second post. In light of the new Hunger Games film coming out in November, I thought I would start this post by trying to link the film series and Geography! There are some clear theme overlaps between the films and Water/Food in Africa (the most obvious being the play on words), however in the films there are themes of oppression, starvation and corruption which can sadly be found in certain African regions. Despite this, building on my first post and using the action plan I devised it's not fair to to make the generalisation that this is the case in all African regions.  

The Hidden (but Not so Hidden) Groundwater: 

For many African farmers, groundwater, is "an essential ingredient"(Gaye and Tindimugaya, 2018). It is an in theory steady and dependable source that is especially important in areas with limited or unpredictable surface water. Exploring groundwater in the context of a case study will make analysis stronger, I have chosen Namibia as it's an arid region with a high variety of aquifer productivity as seen in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Aquifer Productivity Distribution in Africa (McGrath, 2012)

Namibia in Context:

With the Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) initiative, the city of Windhoek (the capital) is addressing the severe reality of water shortage (and hence food shortages as a biproduct) in a novel way. In addition to addressing the pressing issue of water security, this strategy establishes a standard for long-term, sustainable water management in dry areas (Murray et al., 2018).

The unique climate and topography of Windhoek need creative ways to water management. Because of the difficult terrain and scarcity of permanent rivers, the city could not continue to rely on traditional water supply (Tredoux, Van Der Merwe and Peters, 2009). The MAR project, which has been under progress since 2006, was first proposed in 1997 and aims to make water safer and more sustainable in the future.

Restoring a fractured quartzite aquifer underneath the city is the main objective of the MAR plan. In order to use this process, clean water must be periodically injected into the aquifer so that it may be drawn from when resources are few. During the first phase, six injection boreholes (Figure 2) with a 10,000 m³/day (Murray et al., 2018) capacity were erected. Subsequent additions have resulted in a considerable increase in the system capacity.

Figure 2: Injection Borehole Site (Murray, 2017)

For Windhoek, the MAR plan is more than a technological advancement; it's a lifeline. In addition to ensuring the population's survival, the city's increased water supply also creates the foundation for future expansion, development and addressing food issues - a thriving population can't be a hungry one. Such programmes are more important than ever in light of climate change (Wise, 2017), providing a 'proof of concept' model for other areas with comparable problems.

Moving Forward:

The next post will offer an analysis into the effectiveness of the MAR scheme.

As always, I encourage you to comment your thoughts (don't be shy!) Any feedback is appreciated!

Feeding Africa: Intro to the Relationship Between Food and Water🥫

Upon picking a topic, food and water instantly stood out to me since thoroughly enjoying previous modules such as Human Ecology and Thinking Geographically II. It is imperative that I start by comprehending the larger context before I investigate the complex interaction between food and water in Africa (Thompson et al., 2000). 

Water is essential to maintaining food security. Its management, availability, and quality all have a direct impact on agricultural output. But the relationship between water and food in Africa is more intricate than irrigation or rainfall; it involves a number of political decisions, socioeconomic considerations, cultural norms, and environmental shifts (Khan et al., 2022).

Africa faces a number of difficulties in this area. The stakes are significant, ranging from the impending threat of climate change, which alters rainfall patterns and water availability (CARTER and PARKER, 2009), to political conflicts that may cause disruptions in the distribution of food. Furthermore, the growing urbanisation and population put a strain on the resources already in place, necessitating creative fixes and sustainable practises.

But unlike what may be portrayed in Western media, difficulties are not always prevalent. I will admit having written academically about Africa before perhaps I have made assumptions and generalisations that I shouldn't have. Reading Binyavanga Wainaina's article 'How to Write About Africa', opened my eyes to factors I may have never considered before reading. This strongly developed my personal viewpoint on how to write about sensitive topics such as Africa, below I have devised an 'action plan' (Figure 1) that I hope may help others with their blogs!

Figure 1: Action Plan of Writing More Fairly About Africa

Building on this, Africa offers a wealth of options to combat these issues. Such as using contemporary technology (e.g. GM crops and bore holing) and indigenous wisdom together which can open the door to sustainable farming methods. Initiatives for managing water resources in the community have the potential to equitably improve local food security. Moreover, the continent's enormous untapped groundwater resources have the potential to completely transform its agricultural system (Lapworth et al., 2017).

We'll cover a wide range of subjects in the upcoming weeks, including the socioeconomic effects of water distribution, the politics surrounding large-scale irrigation projects, and the use of groundwater in agriculture. I intend to clarify the nuances of this relationship and provide guidance for the future of a well-fed and affluent Africa through this blog series.

                                    Figure 2: "I Drilled a Water Well in Africa!"

I encourage you to participate, leave comments, and share your thoughts as I build on this blog! In particular please watch the above video (Figure 2) and let me know your thoughts in the comments, I personally believe what Ruhi is doing is fantastic, watching it first hand with no media like prejudices and seeing how grateful the locals are is really heart-warming.