The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System programme supports joint management of a shared groundwater resource across Chad, Egypt, Libya and Sudan. Its outputs include common data, monitoring, a Strategic Action Programme, institutional coordination and national implementation measures. It should be assessed through governance and groundwater-management results rather than a conventional construction stage.
<p>The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) underlies the countries of Chad, Egypt, Libya and Sudan, the total population of which is over 136 million. It is the world’s largest ‘fossil’ water aquifer system.</p>
<p>The project scope involves:</p>
<ul>
<li>Developing a standard mechanism for monitoring the development of the aquifer</li>
<li>Capacity building/ training for field investigations/monitoring of groundwater in four countries</li>
<li>Creating a legislative framework for attaining principles of cooperation and equitable utilization</li>
<li>Developing framework for the implementation of the regional strategy for utilization of the NSAS</li>
</ul>
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<p>The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) underlies the countries of Chad, Egypt, Libya and Sudan, the total population of which is over 136 million. It is the world's largest ‘fossil' water aquifer system stretching over approximately 2.6 million square km in Northeast Africa. Fresh groundwater reserves in the aquifer system is estimated at 372,950 billion cubic metre (BCM), out of which only 3.9% is recoverable with present?day technology. The riparian countries sharing the aquifer system face similar problems of arid climate, scarce surface water resources, persistent droughts and fragile ecosystems. The aquifer is a critically important source of water in this arid desert region and will be increasingly in demand in the future. Hence, all four countries have given priority to linking the NSAS groundwater exploitation to national development strategies and plans. Growing pressures on the aquifer system pose threats to both the quantity and quality of the resource and could, if not appropriately managed, lead to transboundary/shared problems and tension.</p>
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<p>The upgrade of this reservoir will help accommodate the heavy demand faced from agriculture and for potable water, for the growing populations of beneficiaty countries; which is expected to double in the next 50â€"100 years. Furthermore, water stress caused by Climate change due to rising temperatures as well as changes in precipitation patterns, inland evaporation and salinization would be minimised through the upgrade. </p>
<p>The project, which has used the GEF methodological framework of developing a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA), will identify and analyse the main issues to be addressed, followed by the development and the implementation of a Strategic Action programme (SAP). The SAP will pioneer the process of stimulating the necessary legal, policy and institutional reforms across the member countries in order to establish a framework for agreed collective management actions of the shared groundwater resources and to address key transboundary concerns at both regional and national level.</p>
<p>The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) is one of the largest aquifer systems in the world covering approximately 2.6 million square km in Northeast Africa. The riparian countries - Chad, Egypt, Libya and Sudan - of the aquifer system face similar problems of arid climate, scarce surface water resources, persistent droughts and fragile ecosystems. The aquifer is a critically important source of water in this arid desert region and will be increasingly in demand in the future. Hence, all four countries have given priority to linking the NSAS groundwater exploitation to national development strategies and plans. Growing pressures on the aquifer system pose threats to both the quantity and quality of the resource and could, if not appropriately managed, lead to transboundary/shared problems and tension. The project, which has used the GEF methodological framework of developing a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA), will identify and analyse the main issues to be addressed, followed by the development and the implementation of a Strategic Action programme (SAP). The SAP will pioneer the process of stimulating the necessary legal, policy and institutional reforms across the member countries in order to establish a framework for agreed collective management actions of the shared groundwater resources and to address key transboundary concerns at both regional and national level.</p>