SOETAERT, Fanny; WANKE, Heike; DUPUY, Alain; LUSUEKIKIO, Vanessa; GAUCHER, Eric C.; BORDMANN, Vincent; FLEURY, Jean-Marc; FRANCESCHI, Michel

doi:10.3390/su14073995

Langue

Article de revue

Ce document a été publié dans

Sustainability. 2022-03-28, vol. 14, n° 7

Résumé en anglais

The water supply in drylands mainly relies on groundwater, making it a crucial resource. Springs in southern Africa are often underutilized, and are neither protected nor monitored. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate their quality in a sample area in northwestern Namibia and to propose solutions for the sustainable use of springs. In total, 35 springs and hot springs were evaluated in the study area located in the drier part of Namibia (Pmean = 150–400 mm/year), an area highly impacted by ongoing climate change with longer and more frequent drought seasons. The springs there are mostly uncaptured and the discharge is in the form of surface runoff, which is mainly lost to the atmosphere by evaporation. Most of the studied springs were perennial, despite a severe drought period. Local communities rely on the springs mainly for livestock and human consumption, as well as for irrigation. However, 71% of the springs do not have any protective measures. The temperature, pH, conductivity and alkalinity were tested in situ. In total, 20 samples were collected and analyzed for major ions (boron, fluoride, silica and strontium) and total dissolved solids (TDS). The physical and inorganic results mostly indicated good and excellent quality water for human consumption, while the hot springs tended to have poor water quality in terms of Namibian standards, indicating that the water was not fit for human consumption.< Réduire

Mots clés en anglais

climate change

Namibia

springs

sustainable resource

water quality

water supply

URI

https://oskar-bordeaux.fr/handle/20.500.12278/184697

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14073995

Unités de recherche

EPOC : Environnements et Paléoenvironnements Océaniques et Continentaux - UMR 5805

Voir/Ouvrir

Métadonnées

Partager cette publication !

Licence d’utilisation du document

Toward the Sustainable Use of Groundwater Springs: A Case Study from Namibia

Langue

Ce document a été publié dans

Résumé en anglais

Mots clés en anglais

URI

DOI

Unités de recherche