Hydrogeology of Cote d'Ivoire

Africa Groundwater Atlas >> Hydrogeology by country >> Hydrogeology of Côte d'Ivoire

Most of the textual information on this page was taken from the chapter on Côte d'Ivoire in the report ‘Groundwater in North and West Africa’ (UN 1988). This information is outdated. If you have more recent information on the hydrogeology of Cote d'Ivoire, please get in touch.

Compilers

Dr Kirsty Upton and Brighid Ó Dochartaigh, British Geological Survey, UK

Geographical Setting

Côte d'Ivoire is in west Africa with a southern coast on the Gulf of Guinea. The country is largely flat, less than 500 m, with local relief. The west of the country is more hilly, with parts rising above 500 m, to a maximum of about 1200 m elevation. The south has many low lying areas and a few isolated or groups of low hills rising to around 650 m elevation.

Map of Côte d'Ivoire (For more information on the datasets used in the map see the geography resources section)

General

Estimated Population in 2013*	20,316,086
Rural Population (% of total) (2013)*	47.2%
Total Surface Area*	318,000 sq km
Agricultural Land (% of total area) (2012)*	64.8%
Capital City	Yamoussoukro
Region	Western Africa
Border Countries	Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana
Annual Freshwater Withdrawal (2013)*	1549 Million cubic metres
Annual Freshwater Withdrawal for Agriculture (2013)*	38.4%
Annual Freshwater Withdrawal for Domestic Use (2013)*	41.1%
Annual Freshwater Withdrawal for Industry (2013)*	20.5%
Rural Population with Access to Improved Water Source (2012)*	67.8%
Urban Population with Access to Improved Water Source (2012)*	91.5%

* Source: World Bank

Climate

The southern coastal zone has an equatorial climate with the highest rainfall, at around 2,400 mm/year, and rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The centre of the country has a tropical climate, with average annual rainfall of around 1,000 to 1,400 mm, and two wet seasons: the main one starting in December and the smaller one from August to October. The north is drier, with average annual rainfall betweewn 400 and 1,000 mm, concentrated in a short rainy season from July to September.

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  Koppen Geiger Climate Zones

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  Average Annual Precipitation

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  Average Temperature

For further detail on the climate datasets used see the climate resources section.

Surface water

Surface Water Map of Côte d'Ivoire (For more information on the datasets used in the map see the surface water resources section)

Soil

Soil Map of Côte d'Ivoire (For map key and more information on the datasets used in the map see the soil resources section)

Land cover

Equatorial tropical Forest savannah

File:Côte d'Ivoire LandCover.png Land Cover Map of Côte d'Ivoire (For map key and more information on the datasets used in the map see the land cover resources section)

Geology

This section provides a summary of the geology of Côte d'Ivoire. More information is available in the report [ADD LINK UN] (1988) (see References section, below).

The geology map shows a simplified version of the geology at a national scale (see the Geology resources page for more details).

Geological Environments

Key Formations	Period	Lithology
Geological Environment 1
Name of formation1	Time period	Description
Geological Environment 2
Geological Environment 3

Hydrogeology

This section provides a summary of the hydrogeology of the main aquifers in Côte d'Ivoire. More information is available in the report [ADD LINK UN] (1988) (see References section, below).

The hydrogeology map shows a simplified version of the type and productivity of the main aquifers at a national scale (see the Aquifer properties resource page for more details).

Unconsolidated

Named Aquifers	Period	General Description	Water quality

Sedimentary - Intergranular Flow

Named Aquifers	Period	General Description	Water quality

Sedimentary - Intergranular & Fracture Flow

Named Aquifers	Period	General Description	Water quality

Sedimentary - Fracture Flow

Named Aquifers	Period	General Description	Water quality

Basement

Named Aquifers	Period	General Description	Water quality

Groundwater use and management

Transboundary aquifers

For further information about transboundary aquifers, please see the Transboundary aquifers resources page

References

The following references provide more information on the geology and hydrogeology of Cote d'Ivoire.

These, and others, can be accessed through the Africa Groundwater Literature Archive

United Nations. 1988. Groundwater in North and West Africa: Côte d'Ivoire. United Nations Department of Technical Cooperation for Development and Economic Commission for Africa, Natural Resources/Water Series No.18, ST/TCD/5

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Africa Groundwater Atlas >> Hydrogeology by country >> Hydrogeology of Cote d'Ivoire