Focus on groundwater in Sudan

Abstract.

Sudan is dependent upon groundwater aquifers for its supply of water, both for human consumption and irrigation. This article deals with the present groundwater resources. The decision on where and how much groundwater to pump depends on the quality of groundwater and the depth from which it was pumped. The further development of groundwater for agriculture and domestic use is one of the priorities to improve the agricultural yield of the country, and the domestic and industrial demands for water (groundwater needs little treatment). Other factors which should be considered in planning priorities of water demand (type, distribution, quality) are the availability of alternative resources, the existing development plans, and the sociological conditions and political priorities.

The present minimum annual requirements of water for human and animal consumption in the rural areas of Sudan are estimated to be 275×10⁶ m³ (23.2% of this amount is provided from the groundwater). About 1,381×10⁶ m³ is estimated to recharge from the major basins annually. Only 143×10⁶ m³ of this recharged water is used, because of lack of proper policies, technical manpower, inadequacy of knowledge and absence of appropriate research to develop new technologies and approaches. It can be concluded that the groundwater potentialities of the basins are extremely high. Finally, large quantities of groundwater are available for future development in irrigation and domestic supply.