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Water in the Sahel
Through its technical cooperation (TC) programme, the IAEA is implementing a series of large-scale TC projects on water resource assessment and management in the Sahel region. The projects aim to support the rational and sustainable management of shared groundwater resources with the application of isotope hydrology techniques, which contribute to regional and local socioeconomic development.
The projects have built capacity to enable local scientists to collect and analyze water samples from thousands of locations in the Sahel region. This has allowed the characterization of transboundary groundwater resources, both in terms of quality and quantity.
The projects have instituted a postgraduate programme and to date more than 40 doctoral, master’s and postdoctoral fellows have benefitted.
Scientists Explore Groundwater in the Sahel with Nuclear Technology
In the deserts of the Sahel, one of the poorest regions of the world, rich bodies of water underground provide a source of life. Using nuclear-derived techniques, scientists from 13 African countries have carried out the first ever regionwide assessment of groundwater in this area of 5 million square kilometres, with the help of the IAEA.
