Water and Environmental Change in Africa

Welcome back! This third blog post explains why groundwater is a useful tool for accessing safe water in Africa, particularly in the context of climate change, with a specific focus on Tanzania.  Groundwater is the world's largest accessible store of freshwater, supplying over 30% of the world's drinking water today ( Taylor et al., 2013 ). However, the rates of groundwater level decline have increased substantially, leading academics to question the relationship between precipitation and recharge. Groundwater is naturally a potable quality and, therefore, does not require expensive treatment, which lowers the cost of access ( Taylor et al., 2009 ). It is typically stored in aquifers, which vary dramatically in shape and size. As they are underground, they are protected from the dangers of evaporation , something that climate change is intensifying.  Africa is extremely rich in water. That is a statement you may not hear frequently, but it is true. The water is just stored und...

What is the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)? Why do I need to know what it is? What is its relevance to water, development and environmental change in Africa? These are all questions I asked myself. This post aims to answer all three. I am someone with a brief scientific background and, therefore, will attempt to provide a simplified overview of the ITCZ, El Niño and La Niña in an understandable manner.  The ITCZ is a band of low pressure close to the equator, where the northern and southern trade winds meet. The band is not stationary; it migrates north during July and August and south throughout January and February to follow the sun's natural overhead position. The climate of Eastern Africa is significantly controlled by the ITCZ ( Taylor, 2016 ). It determines the annual seasonality of rainfall, which can potentially lead to extreme weather events. Seasonal shifts impact annual rainfall patterns, hence why East Africa has bimodal precipitation, whereas the sub...