Republic of Kenya

Ministry of Environment, Water and

Natural Resources

Groundwater Resources Investigation

for Drought Mitigation in

Africa Programme

Radar Technologies International

Survey contractor: Implemented by:

Client: Contribution to the national

development strategy: Financed by:

Advanced Survey of Groundwater Resources of

Northern and Central Turkana County, Kenya

August 2013

©Natalie Walther

JAPAN Official Development Assistance

Peter Manyara National Programme Coordinator for Kenya, UNESCO-GRIDMAP

Contact: p.manyara@unesco.org

Table of Contents

• About UNESCO & IHP

• The Turkana Groundwater Survey and Mapping – Overview

– Objectives

– Methodology

– Validation

– Results and findings

– Recommendations

– Survey outputs

• UN IYWC 2013

ABOUT UNESCO

• Established in 1945, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO) contributes to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through

education, science, and culture.

UNESCO strives to build networks among nations that enable this kind of solidarity, by:

• Mobilizing for education: access; quality; rights; development.

• Building intercultural understanding: cultural diversity; World Heritage

• Pursuing scientific cooperation: early warning systems; trans-boundary waters; relations

• Protecting freedom of expression: condition for democracy, development and human dignity.

UNESCO-IHP

• The only intergovernmental programme of the UN system devoted to water research, water

resources management, and education and capacity building; Tailored to States’ needs

• it is implemented in six-year phases – allowing it to adapt to a rapidly changing world.

IHP-VII: Water Dependencies: Systems under Stress and Societal Responses (2008-2013)

• This phase continued to lead international hydrological research, facilitate education and capacity

development and enhance governance in water management towards meeting the UN MDGs on

environmental sustainability, water supply, sanitation, food security and poverty alleviation.

IHP-VIII: Water Security: Responses to Local, Regional, and Global Challenges (2014-2021)

• The new phase follows the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) era and envisions new

challenges to be set in the SDGs. During its eighth phase, IHP aims to improve water security in

response to local, regional, and global challenges.

The International Hydrological Programme (IHP)

IHP-VIII, 2014–2021

In response to the priorities and needs of Member States, IHP-VIII focuses on six knowledge

areas, translated into themes:

IHP-VIII, 2014–2021

• Focal Area 2.1 - Enhancing sustainable groundwater resources management

• Focal Area 2.2 - Addressing strategies for management of aquifers recharge

• Focal Area 2.3 - Adapting to the impacts of climate change on aquifer systems

• Focal Area 2.4 - Promoting groundwater quality protection

• Focal Area 2.5 - Promoting management of transboundary aquifers

THEME 2: GROUNDWATER IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

IHP PROGRAMMES

• HELP: Hydrology for the Environment, Life, and Policy

• FRIEND: Flow Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data

• GRAPHIC: Groundwater Resources Assessment under the Pressures of Humanity and Climate Change

• G-WADI: Global Network on Water and Development Information in Arid Lands

• IDI: International Drought Initiative

• IFI: International Flood Initiative

• ISARM: Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources Management

• ISI: International Sediment Initiative

• JIIHP: UNESCO-IAEA Joint International Isotope Hydrology Programme

• PC-CP: Water for Peace: From Potential Conflicts to Cooperation Potential

• UWMP: Urban Water Management Programme

• International Knowledge, Research, and Policy Initiative on Water Quality

• WHYMAP: World Hydrogeological Map

CROSS-CUTTING PROGRAMMES AND INITIATIVES

Advanced Survey of Groundwater

Resources of Northern and Central

Turkana County, Kenya

OVERVIEW

Target area

Beneficiary

Executioner

Budget

Donor

Duration

Contractor

National framework

Regional frameworks

Parent Project

Scientific review

Northern and central Turkana County

Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources

UNESCO

$700,000 ($150,000 for exploratory drilling)

Japan (Official Development Assistance)

July 2012 – June 2013

Radar Technologies International (RTI)

Kenya Vision 2030

GRIDMAP, IGAD

Strengthening capacity to combat drought and famine in the

Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia), $1.5 million

Technical Scientific Committee (Kenya)

1. To survey and assess the groundwater potential of North-central Turkana County

2. To identify and assess a maximum quantity of new clean groundwater resources

for populations, with particular focus on Lodwar, Lokichogio, and Kakuma

3. To assess the potential of groundwater for development, with a focus on both

shallow and deep structures

36,000 km2

OBJECTIVES

Lokichogio

Kakuma

Lodwar

METHODOLOGY

Landsat 7 Processing

Elevations Slopes

SRTM Processing: Elevation & slope evaluation

Lithological contrasting

Water dynamics evaluation

Surface Drainage Catchment boundaries and

harvesting

Geological assessment

Soil Type Classification

METHODOLOGY

WATEX Radar Processing and classifying shallow groundwater (0-80 m)

METHODOLOGY

WATEX Shallow Aquifer Groundwater Occurrence Model (SAGOM):

Classifying shallow groundwater (0-80 m)

6.25

m

Negative Negative Negative Negative Positive

6.25

m

Negative Negative Negative Positive Positive

6.25

m

Negative Negative Positive Positive Positive

6.25

m

Negative Negative Positive Positive Positive

6.25

m

Positive Positive Positive Positive Positive

6.25 m 6.25 m 6.25 m 6.25 m 6.25 m

Pixel resolution (39 m2)

Pixel Color Occurrence potential at location

Yellow Minimum of 90%. These pixels represent

fracture discharges in alluvial sediments,

or pure alluvial aquifers.

Red 75% probability of aquifer presence if

combined with a conductive fracture.

Light blue 30% probability of aquifer presence if

combined with a conductive fracture.

Green 25% probability of groundwater

occurrence, located over hills and

mountains. Wells in these pixels should

only be drilled with the presence of a

conductive fracture

Black / dark 0-5%, minimal occurrence potential, likely

to be dry or have little potential for

groundwater occurrence.

Groundwater potential color coding

METHODOLOGY

Mapping shallow groundwater (0-80 m)

WATEX fracture mapping and classification

WATEX Landsat and SRTM

processing for fractures

WATEX Fracture classification,

Conductive (yellow), non-conductive (blue)

METHODOLOGY

Mapping shallow groundwater (0-80 m)

Interpretation of gravimetric data Interpretation of seismic data

WATEX Deep Aquifer Model (DAM):

Inferring deep-seated aquifers (100 - 3000 m)

METHODOLOGY

Mapping shallow groundwater (0-80 m)

Regional deep aquifers

WATEX Deep Aquifer Model (DAM):

Inferring deep-seated aquifers (100 - 3000 m)

METHODOLOGY

Lotikipi Aquifer (330m) Lodwar Aquifer (126m)

WATEX accuracy level in Turkana: > 94% for shallow alluvial groundwater occurrence

UNESCO Validation Results

MODEL VALIDATION

Total Groundwater Resources in Northern-central Turkana County

Aquifer regime Est. Recharge

(MCM / yr)

Est. Storage

Capacity (MCM)

Shallow alluvial systems (0-100 m) 2,085 2,085*

Deep-seated systems (100-800 m) 1,362 248,250

3,447 250,335

* In absence of localized data at the regional scale, a conservative estimate for the cumulative storage capacity

of shallow alluvial assumes the same amount of annual recharge

RESULTS & FINDINGS

Deep-seated Aquifer Systems in Northern-central Turkana County

* Estimate for recharge of Lodwar Aquifer is not given due to insufficient data on Turkwel River recharge dynamics.

Aquifer system Recharge

(MCM/yr)

Storage

capacity

(MCM)

(1) Lotikipi Basin 1,200 207,500

(2) Lodwar Basin -* 10,000

(3) Gatome Half-graben 61 17,250

(4) Nakalale Half-graben 59 7,000

(5) Kachoda Half-graben 21 6,500

Total 1,362 248,250

RESULTS & FINDINGS

Groundwater Potentials for Priority Areas in Northern-central Turkana County

Lodwar

• Groundwater

potential (1,292

MCM per year)

• No seasonal

groundwater level

variation in the

boreholes below

alluvial deposits

• Endowed with the

deep Lodwar Basin

Aquifer (10 BCM)

Kakuma

• Groundwater potential,

within 10km2, (51 million

m3/year

• Current water withdrawals

only 2.5% of available

groundwater

• Best options for shallow

boreholes (<100 meters) is

to drill within the fracture

corridor of the Tarash River

identified by the study

• Located 25 km south of the

southern portion of Lotikipi

Basin Aquifer

RESULTS & FINDINGS

Lokichogio

• Groundwater potential,

(107 million m3/year)

•

• Few viable options

available within 10 km

of town

• Located 25 km west of

the western portion of

Lotikipi Basin Aquifer

• The Government of Kenya should take measures to ensure the dissemination of information and tools to stakeholders.

• GOK, UNESCO and other partners should expand and build the cadre of

skilled professionals who can utilize the survey tools.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Kenyan government and its affiliated research institutions should conduct

additional studies in order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding

of these resources and their full potential and vulnerabilities.

• Expand the WATEX study approach to the rest of Turkana and Kenya in

order to benefit other regions. Turkana can be a model for other counties.

• Study socio-economic potential of groundwater, particularly deep aquifers

• Continue hydrogeological research and modeling of deep structures,

including the exploration of the un-confirmed structures, and more boreholes on the confirmed aquifers.

Research

Survey tools and maps

• The skills/capacity of the drilling industry is inadequate for carrying out

reliable and sound exploratory drilling.

• A major campaign should be launched to build the capacity of the industry as

a whole, and reduce the inefficiencies in the market.

• It is important if the Government can acquire specialized drilling equipment for exploratory drilling of scientific boreholes.

Drilling capacities

• Develop exploratory boreholes (Lotikipi and Lodwar) to be able to provide

immediate water supply to local communities.

• Drill up to 200-500 shallow alluvial boreholes in high-potential areas identified

by this survey.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Kenyan authorities should establish a limit on abstraction rates for both the

Lotikipi and Lodwar Aquifers. WRMA can establish the rates for abstraction

for both normal and emergency situations.

• Kenyan authorities are recommended to undertake aquifer zoning and

gazette adjacent land to protect the aquifers from harmful activities.

• Establish a modern aquifer monitoring system to monitor the Lotikipi and

Lodwar aquifers.

Aquifer management

Short term projects

SURVEY OUTPUTS

Full Technical Report

(August 2013) High Potential Groundwater Target Map;

Groundwater Recharge Map;

Soil and Vegetation Map (1:200,000) GIS Database of

groundwater resources

!

Groundwater Exploration

Navigation System (GENS)

RADAR TECHNOLOGIES

INTERNATIONAL

Technical Field Manual for

Groundwater Targeting

NORTHERN-CENTRAL TURKANA COUNTY

Technical field manual for

groundwater targeting Practical field training

UN IYWC 2013

• Aims at raising awareness about opportunities in water cooperation.

• UNESCO was officially designated by UN-Water to lead the preparations for this IY in 2013.

• Water cooperation: has multiple dimensions including cultural, educational, scientific, religious,

ethical, social, political, legal, institutional and economic aspects.

• A multidisciplinary approach is essential to grasp the many facets implied in the concept and

to blend such parts into a holistic vision.

• A common understanding of what the needs and challenges are around water is required in order

for water cooperation to be successful and long-lasting: building a shared consensus

• Participation from a wide range of parties including NGOs, IOs, UN Agencies, National and

Regional Institutions, and Academia among others is expected and encouraged.

UN International Year of Water Cooperation 2013