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Davis & Shirtliff has called on the government to institute policies that can spur local capacity and expertise in sustainable groundwater abstraction.

Speaking during World Water Day, Group CEO David Gatende (pictured) said this will make it easier for the country to tap into groundwater resources to boost access to water for more households.

“There is sufficient local technical know-how and access to affordable equipment to reduce the costs of accessing groundwater,” he said.

Data shows that large populations spend up to a third of their day fetching water from the nearest water natural source which reduces their active income-generating, or economic activities time, a trend that has contributed to increased poverty levels.

Lack of access to nearby community water infrastructure has also increased the vulnerability of rural households to human-wildlife conflict and exposed users to the risk of waterborne diseases. However, new and affordable technology is driving the mass uptake of sustainable solar-powered borehole pumping solutions.

Gatende said the promotion of solar pumping for groundwater extraction through education, incentives should be a key aspect of policy development by African states to ensure sustainable groundwater use.