In an opinion piece published by AllAfrica.com, Callist Tindimugaya, Commissioner for Water Resources Planning and Regulation in the Ministry of Water and Environment (Uganda), argues that the water beneath Africans’ feet could transform the continent’s agricultural production, but only if it is managed wisely:
"With drought afflicting much of Southern Africa and parts of Ethiopia, it’s all too easy to succumb to the stereotype that Africa is a dry continent. Far from it. Recent estimates suggest that there is one hundred times more supply of groundwater in Africa than on the surface. If irrigation could be increased using groundwater, not only would it be a boost to continental food security, but millions of smallholder farmers could have more resilient livelihoods."
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) recently launched a new global partnership, the Groundwater Solutions Initiative for Policy and Practice (GRIPP), which seeks to advance the agenda of sustainable groundwater management at a global scale and to which WLE contributes.