Regional hydrogeological maps of Africa
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This list includes the most widely known regional hydrogeological or groundwater maps of Africa - maps that cover more than one country, and in most cases cover large regions of Africa. Most are traditional hydrogeological or groundwater resource maps. One or two focus on particular themes related to groundwater.
They are listed here in reverse order of age.
This is not a comprehensive list. If you know of maps that aren't on this list but should be, please let us know! Email us: AfricaGWAtlas@bgs.ac.uk
Regional Maps by Date of Publication
Region | Map Title | Date | Scale | Publishing Organisation | Format | Where to find | More information | |
West Africa | Groundwater in fast growing cities in Western Africa | 2021 | IGRAC | Pdf map with marginalia | Download pdf from IGRAC | Published as part of WHYMAP | ||
Parts of southern Africa | Ramotswa Aquifer | 2018 | Ramotswa project consortium | Created as shapefiles. Available to view in online portal. | Ramotswa Information Management System (RIMS) | Online portal with maps of the Ramotswa aquifer (Botswana + South Africa). Multiple map layers including aquifer boundary, location of springs, groundwater levels and quality parameters, recharge. | ||
SADC Region | Groundwater drought risk maps | 2013 | IWMI | GIS | View in SADC online portal | Developed as part of the spatial analysis tool GRiMMS (Groundwater Drought Risk Mapping and Management System). Described in Villholth, Tøttrup, Stendel & Maherry. 2013. Integrated mapping of groundwater drought risk in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Hydrogeology Journal (2013) 21: 863–885. DOI 10.1007/s10040-013-0968-1 | ||
SADC Region | SADC Hydrogeological map | 2010 | 1:2.5 million | Sweco International (Sweden); Council for Geoscience (South Africa); Water Geosciences Consulting (South Africa) and Water Resources Consultants (Botswana). | As interactive digital map in SADC online portal | Hydrogeological map shows aquifer lithology, flow type and groundwater potential | ||
Egypt | Middle East Hydrogeology / Vorderer Orient Hydrogeologie | 1990 | 1: 8 million | Universität Tübingen, Germany | View scanned image in WHYMIS portal | |||
North Africa, parts of west and northeast Africa | Hydrogeological Map of the Arab Region and Adjacent Areas | 1988 | 1:5 million | Regional Office for Science & Technology in the Arab States, ACSAD; WRD & UNESCO | View scanned image in WHYMIS portal | Covers Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, (CAR?), Algeria, Morocco, WS, Mauritania, parts of Mali, Niger & Chad | ||
West and Central Africa | Map of groundwater resource potentiality of West and Central Africa | 1986 | 1: 5 million | BRGM Paris | View scanned image at WHYMIS | Covers Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, the Gambia, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali. Combines type of reservoir, mainly based on lithology and an assessment of groundwater potential based on data from an inventory of boreholes, wells & springs. Shows four groundwater potential categories & aquifer lithology. | ||
Algeria and Tunisia | North Africa – Tunesia, Algeria | 1983 | 1: 1 million | German Research Society, Berlin | View scanned image in WHYMIS portal | |||
Gabon, Republic of Congo | Carte de Planification des Ressources en Eau du Gabon et du Congo | 1982 | 1: 1 million | Comité Interafricain d’Etudes Hydrauliques, Ouagadougou & BRGM, Orléans | View scanned image at WHYMIS | Represents ‘renewable resource of aquifers as fraction of mean effective precipitation. Also shows exploitable reserves, main geological formations, rivers, main wells | ||
Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin | Carte de Planification des ressources en eau du Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, du Togo et due Benin | 1978 | 1:1 million | Comite Interafricain d’Etudes Hydrauliques, Ougadougou / BRGM | View scanned image at WHYMIS | |||
Sahel | Carte de planification pour l’exploitation des eaux souterraines de l’Afrique soudano-sahelienne | 1976 | 1:1.5 million | BRGM with Bureau Central d’Etudes pour les equipments Outre-Mer (Mali) & Comite Inter-africain d’Etudes Hydrauliques (Niger) | Covers Cameroon, Gambia, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad. Shows uppermost aquifer type (extensive or discontinuous) and lithology; depth to groundwater; groundwater quality; estimate of recharge (renewable groundwater resource); estimate of groundwater storage. Described in CIEH (1976). | |||
North and West Africa | Groundwater in North and West Africa | 1975 | 1:4 million | View scanned image at WHYMIS | ||||
Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi | Carte hydrogeologique du Congo Belge et du Ruanda Urundi | 1957 | 1:5 million | Service Geologique du Congo Belge | View scanned image at WHYMIS |
Details of selected regional scale maps of Africa
SADC Hydrogeological Map
This map covers the SADC countries Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
It shows aquifer lithology, flow type and groundwater potential.
It was designed to provide information on generalised hydrogeological characteristics at multi-country level and transboundary scale for the entire SADC region, focusing on the extent and geometry of regional aquifer systems. It was designed as a tool for hydrogeologists and water resource planners, and non-specialists alike: as a base map for hydrogeologists and water resource planners, whilst at the same time presenting information to non-specialists. The map serves as a starting point for more detailed regional groundwater investigations by showing data and knowledge gaps. It is not intended to replace national groundwater maps, borehole siting tools and methods, or site-specific groundwater resource investigations.
The hydrogeological map, and an accompanying atlas, were developed as part of the Regional Groundwater Management Programme in the Regional Strategic Action Plan for Integrated Water Resources Development and Management (RSAP-IWRM). The organisations involved in map development were Sweco International (Sweden); Council for Geoscience (South Africa); Water Geosciences Consulting (South Africa) and Water Resources Consultants (Botswana).
The map was developed in GIS, and designed specifically for use in an online, interactive web-based tool. Rather than being a single map, it contains several layers of information that can be used separately or overlaid, depending on the needs of the user.
The map is available to view in the SADC Groundwater Information Portal (GIP).
More information on map development is in these documents:
SADC EDF/RIP. 2010. ‘SADC Hydrogeological Mapping Project’ – Final Report. March 2010. Technical report to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Cooperating Partners: European Union and GTZ.
Explanatory Brochure for the South African Development Community (SADC) Hydrogeological Map & Atlas. Technical Assistance to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) - “SADC Hydrogeological Mapping Project”. A report to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Cooperating Partners: European Union and GTZ.
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