Aquifers in Kenya Could Save Lives
Ellisha Rader Mannering
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Northern Kenya is known for having a lot of droughts and people in poverty. A recent discovery of five aquifers in Turkana County could make the lives of the people who live there a lot better. Millions of people in Kenya do not have access to clean drinking water and during droughts, this can be life threatening.
This newly found water supply has more to offer than just drinking water. It will allow the people of Northern Kenya to water their crop and livestock and lead to more food. It also means they can bathe, clean food and dishes and have more sanitation options.
If the condition of livestock and crops improve, there will likely be less cattle raids and thievery between neighbors. Malnutrition is so common in Kenya that many people are starving and resorting to stealing livestock and food from other people.
The Kenya government and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization also called Unesco, found the aquifers with the help of funding that was sent from Japan. The aquifers have not yet been tapped and there it is not known how much water may be available within each one.
Satellites were used to find these aquifers and afterwards one was drilled in order to make sure there was indeed water present. The other two aquifers were seen on the satellite but have not yet been drilled to find water. Once the water is confirmed, the government will need to determine the best way to get adequate water to the people of Kenya.
This technique proved to be successful in finding water in Kenya and could be used to find water in other areas that experience long periods of drought or that have people who do not have adequate drinking water.
Image from Wikimedia Commons.