Hydrogeology of Djibouti: Difference between revisions
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'''This page has limited information and needs to be updated. If you have more information on the hydrogeology of Djibouti, please get in touch''' | '''This page has limited information and needs to be updated. If you have more information on the hydrogeology of Djibouti, please get in touch''' | ||
Djibouti, located where the Red Sea joins the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, at a crossroads linking Africa to the Middle East, and at the mouth of the Suez Canal, has always been a trading hub. The area of present-day Djibouti was once part of a series of ancient kingdoms with strong links to ancient Ethiopia and Egypt. Its proximity to the Arabian Peninsula meant Islam was adopted early. It was later colonised by France in the late 19th century, and the construction of railroads to Ethiopia meant it became an important regional port. It won independence as the Republic of Djibouti in 1977. The independent country’s first president remained in power until 1999. In the 1990s, the country experienced a civil war that ended in a power sharing agreement in 2000. Since 2000, there have been periodic episodes of civil unrest and a number of contested elections, but overall Djibouti is perceived internationally as having being relatively politically stable. | |||
This, combined with Djibouti’s strategic location, have led to it being the site of a number of military bases for foreign personnel, as well as continuing to have regionally important ports, which bring in the majority of national revenue. It is a hub for international naval forces combating piracy in one of the world's busiest shipping routes. Foreign relations are therefore very important to the country’s economic stability. The Djibouti franc is pegged to the USD. The economy is dominated by the service sector, which accounts for 80% of GDP, with commercial activities focused on the country’s free trade policies and transport links. Industry, including fishing and fish processing, and growing salt production, accounts for around 17% of GDP. The desert environment limits agricultural production, which accounts for only 3% of GDP. Rural people traditionally relied on nomadic pastoralism, but rural populations are now small: three quarters of Djibouti's inhabitants live in cities. Its limited natural resources mean that Djibouti relies heavily on energy and food imports. Despite the importance of services to the economy, there is very high unemployment. Nevertheless, relative political stability also means that the country has become an important country of passage for refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants from surrounding countries. | |||
This, combined with Djibouti’s strategic location, have led to it being the site of a number of military bases for foreign personnel | |||
Djibouti is an arid country with very limited surface water resources. Over 90% of water supplies come from groundwater. In some areas, groundwater levels are known to be deep and/or groundwater is known to have high levels of mineralisation. | Djibouti is an arid country with very limited surface water resources. Over 90% of water supplies come from groundwater. In some areas, groundwater levels are known to be deep and/or groundwater is known to have high levels of mineralisation. |
Revision as of 13:30, 4 October 2018
Africa Groundwater Atlas >> Hydrogeology by country >> Hydrogeology of Djibouti
This page is being updated. Please check back soon for more content.
This page has limited information and needs to be updated. If you have more information on the hydrogeology of Djibouti, please get in touch
Djibouti, located where the Red Sea joins the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, at a crossroads linking Africa to the Middle East, and at the mouth of the Suez Canal, has always been a trading hub. The area of present-day Djibouti was once part of a series of ancient kingdoms with strong links to ancient Ethiopia and Egypt. Its proximity to the Arabian Peninsula meant Islam was adopted early. It was later colonised by France in the late 19th century, and the construction of railroads to Ethiopia meant it became an important regional port. It won independence as the Republic of Djibouti in 1977. The independent country’s first president remained in power until 1999. In the 1990s, the country experienced a civil war that ended in a power sharing agreement in 2000. Since 2000, there have been periodic episodes of civil unrest and a number of contested elections, but overall Djibouti is perceived internationally as having being relatively politically stable.
This, combined with Djibouti’s strategic location, have led to it being the site of a number of military bases for foreign personnel, as well as continuing to have regionally important ports, which bring in the majority of national revenue. It is a hub for international naval forces combating piracy in one of the world's busiest shipping routes. Foreign relations are therefore very important to the country’s economic stability. The Djibouti franc is pegged to the USD. The economy is dominated by the service sector, which accounts for 80% of GDP, with commercial activities focused on the country’s free trade policies and transport links. Industry, including fishing and fish processing, and growing salt production, accounts for around 17% of GDP. The desert environment limits agricultural production, which accounts for only 3% of GDP. Rural people traditionally relied on nomadic pastoralism, but rural populations are now small: three quarters of Djibouti's inhabitants live in cities. Its limited natural resources mean that Djibouti relies heavily on energy and food imports. Despite the importance of services to the economy, there is very high unemployment. Nevertheless, relative political stability also means that the country has become an important country of passage for refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants from surrounding countries.
Djibouti is an arid country with very limited surface water resources. Over 90% of water supplies come from groundwater. In some areas, groundwater levels are known to be deep and/or groundwater is known to have high levels of mineralisation.
Compilers
Dr Kirsty Upton and Brighid Ó Dochartaigh, British Geological Survey, UK
Dr Imogen Bellwood-Howard, Institute of Development Studies, UK
Please cite this page as: Upton, Ó Dochartaigh and Bellwood-Howard, 2018.
Bibliographic reference: Upton K, Ó Dochartaigh BÉ and Bellwood-Howard, I. 2018. Africa Groundwater Atlas: Hydrogeology of Djibouti. British Geological Survey. Accessed [date you accessed the information]. https://earthwise.bgs.ac.uk/index.php/Hydrogeology_of_Djibouti
Terms and conditions
The Africa Groundwater Atlas is hosted by the British Geological Survey (BGS) and includes information from third party sources. Your use of information provided by this website is at your own risk. If reproducing diagrams that include third party information, please cite both the Africa Groundwater Atlas and the third party sources. Please see the Terms of use for more information.
Geographical Setting
General
Capital city | Djibouti |
Region | East Africa |
Border countries | Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia |
Total surface area* | 23,200 km2 (2,320,000 ha) |
Total population (2015)* | 887,900 |
Rural population (2015)* | 192,100 (22%) |
Urban population (2015)* | 695,800 (78%) |
UN Human Development Index (HDI) [highest = 1] (2014)* | 0.4704 |
* Source: FAO Aquastat
Climate
These maps and graphs were developed from the CRU TS 3.21 dataset produced by the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, UK. For more information see the climate resource page.
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Koppen Geiger Climate Zones
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Average Annual Precipitation
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Average Temperature
Soil
Land cover
Water statistics
1989 | 1998 | 2000 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
Rural population with access to safe drinking water (%) | 64.7 | |||||
Urban population with access to safe drinking water (%) | 97.4 | |||||
Population affected by water related disease | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data |
Total internal renewable water resources (cubic metres/inhabitant/year) | 337.9 | |||||
Total exploitable water resources (Million cubic metres/year) | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data |
Freshwater withdrawal as % of total renewable water resources | 6.267 | |||||
Total renewable groundwater (Million cubic metres/year) | 15 | |||||
Exploitable: Regular renewable groundwater (Million cubic metres/year) | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data |
Groundwater produced internally (Million cubic metres/year) | 15 | |||||
Fresh groundwater withdrawal (primary and secondary) (Million cubic metres/year) | 18 | |||||
Groundwater: entering the country (total) (Million cubic metres/year) | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data |
Groundwater: leaving the country to other countries (total) (Million cubic metres/year) | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data |
Industrial water withdrawal (all water sources) (Million cubic metres/year) | 0 | |||||
Municipal water withdrawal (all water sources) (Million cubic metres/year) | 16 | |||||
Agricultural water withdrawal (all water sources) (Million cubic metres/year) | 3 | |||||
Irrigation water withdrawal (all water sources)1 (Million cubic metres/year) | 2.5 | |||||
Irrigation water requirement (all water sources)1 (Million cubic metres/year) | 0.8 | |||||
Area of permanent crops (ha) | 0 | |||||
Cultivated land (arable and permanent crops) (ha) | 2,000 | |||||
Total area of country cultivated (%) | 0.0862 | |||||
Area equipped for irrigation by groundwater (ha) | 670 | |||||
Area equipped for irrigation by mixed surface water and groundwater (ha) | 0 |
These statistics are sourced from FAO Aquastat. They are the most recent available information in the Aquastat database. More information on the derivation and interpretation of these statistics can be seen on the FAO Aquastat website.
Further water and related statistics can be accessed at the Aquastat Main Database.
1 More information on irrigation water use and requirement statistics
Geology
The geology map shows a simplified version of the geology at a national scale. More information is available in the report UN (1989) (see References section, below).
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Hydrogeology
The hydrogeology map below shows a simplified version of the type and productivity of the main aquifers at a national scale (see the hydrogeology Map resource page for more details).
More information on the hydrogeology of Djibouti is available in the report United Nations (1989) (see References section, below).
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Transboundary aquifers
For further information about transboundary aquifers, please see the Transboundary aquifers resources page.
References
References with more information on the geology and hydrogeology of Djibouti can be accessed through the Africa Groundwater Literature Archive.
United Nations. 1989. Groundwater in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa: Djibouti. United Nations Department of Technical Cooperation for Development.
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