AfriWatSan

In August and September of 2020, extreme rainfall events caused flooding in Dakar. A new monitoring facility in the AfriWatSan urban groundwater observatory in the Thiaroye area of Dakar yields new insight into the hydrological impacts of such events. Located beside a large septic tank beneath a school toilet block, the facility provides high-frequency observations of rainfall and changes in the quantity and quality of soil moisture flowing through the unsaturated zone to shallow groundwater in Quaternary sands.   During a wetter (535 mm) than normal (450 to 500 mm) rainy season in 2020, two extreme rainfall events were observed…

The AfriWatSan Project regularly publishes stories in journals of reference. Some of these publications are repeated in the current Website. Below, a selection of the papers available on the website. Calvince O. Othoo,  Simeon O. Dulo, Daniel O. Olago, Richard Ayah (2020). Effects of Shallow Water Table on the Construction of Pit Latrines and Shallow Wells in the Informal Settlements of Kisumu City. Research Institute for Humanity and Nature James P.R. Sorensen, Mor Talla Diaw, Abdoulaye Pouye, Raphaëlle Roffo, Djim M. L. Diongue, Seynabou C. Faye, Cheikh B. Gaye, Bethany G.Fox, Timothy Goodall, Daniel J.Lapworth, Alan M. MacDonald, Daniel S. Read, Lena Ciric, Richard G. Taylor (2020). In-situ fluorescence spectroscopy indicates total bacterial…

The AfriWatSan Project made relevant presentations at the AfWA 2020 International Congress and Exhibition held in Kampala (Uganda) from 24 to 27 February 2020. Please visit the Resources‘ section of the AfriWatSan’s Project’s Website for more information.      

In Dakar, field work under AfriWatSan continues. To assess mechanisms of water and pollutant transfer from on-site sanitation systems to groundwater in the shallow aquifer of unconsolidated Quaternary sand, PhD student – Abdoulaye Pouye – has established a field laboratory in the unsaturated zone of a suburb of Dakar (Keur Massar). Here, on-site sanitation facilities (squat-toilets) have been replaced and a network of probes (electrical conductivity, temperature, soil moisture) and suction cups (to sample interstitial water) have been installed and tests have been carried out to develop a baseline of measurements before use of squat toilets resumes after the COVID19…

Recent research has identified the natural resilience of groundwater to climate change and our tendency to deplete this invaluable resource. It’s time we understood, valued, and governed groundwater as the vital adaptation to climate change that it is.   Groundwater flowing within the geology beneath our feet is the world’s largest liquid store of freshwater. Its volume in most countries in Africa for example, is estimated to be 10 to 100 times greater than that which flows annually through their rivers, lakes and wetlands. The widespread distribution and inter-annual storage of groundwater play an essential role in sustaining ecosystems and…

Members of the AfriWatSan Consortium will participate in the 20th AfWA International Congress and Exhibition to be held from 24th to 27th February in Kampala, Uganda. During this main event, 6 oral presentations including the Consortium Group’s presentation will be delivered and 1 poster displayed. More information on the presentations and pictures to be posted soon.

The AfriWatSan Project Team members performed well at the GQ 2019 with four (04) oral presentations and three (03) poster ones. Below two of the presentations delivered and some photos.   Taylor_etal_GQ2019_10_September Owor_et_al_GQ2019_Liege_Belgium

Members of the AfriWatSan team will participate in the 10th International Groundwater Quality Conference (GQ 2019) in  Liège (Belgium). At this conference, the AfriWatSan team will deliver 4 oral and 4 poster presentations. The abstracts are attached. GQ2019_Abstract1_Kanoti_analysis_revised UCADGQ2019Abstract (2) Owor_etal_GQ2019_abstract (1) Taylor_etal_GQ2019_abstract (1)    

AfriWatSan participated in the International Symposium on Isotope Hydrology held from 20th to 24th May 2019 in Vienna, Austria. As announced on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s website, this  15th symposium  aimed “to facilitate the exchange of information and knowledge among water and environment professionals from developed and developing countries in order to advance the understanding, collaboration and capabilities to respond to the rapidly changing global environment.” The conference’s website indicates that, at the symposium, water experts looked at new isotope techniques that could help address widespread pollution problems among others. They also shared examples of how countries, cities…

Dr Seynabou Cissé Faye, UCAD AfriWatSan Co-I, Hydrogeology, has been named Godmother of the Dakar 2019 Miss Mathematics and Miss Sciences edition. The competition that has been organized since 2011 by the Senegalese regional academic authorities, in the various regions of the country, is aimed, among others, at promoting excellence at school, encouraging girls to pursue education in sciences and excel in this subject.Dr Cissé Faye has been selected by her institution, the University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar (UCAD), Senegal, and the Faculty of Science, more specifically, in recognition of her professional qualifications in Science, her outstanding achievements in…