Scientists have used a new satellite imaging technology that has enabled them to discover fresh underground water in the Northern part of Kenya that could sustain the country’s water needs for over 70 years.
According to ITV News, the scientists used a system that combined Satellite, Radar and Geological imaging technologies to discover a massive aquifer, an underground water-bearing material that can produce enough water 10 times more than all of Kenya’s water sources.
The aquifer was discovered 300 meters below the surface in Lokitipi area, in Turkana, in a Japan-funded project run by both UNESCO and the Kenyan government.
“We now have a tool that could not only help Kenya, but it could help other countries facing the issues of water scarcity,” Abou Amani of UNESCO told ITV News.
“I’m not saying this could solve all of the problems because from finding water to providing water to the population is another step because we need to have investment, we need to put in place infrastructure and so on,” Amani added, “But we have seen the system and the fact water is there, and that is extremely important and it could be a game changer within the country.”
It is reported that the aquifer is approximately 100 km by 66 km, covering over 4,164 squared kilometers of surface area, holding an estimated 200 billion cubic meters of fresh water.
The Kenyan government is expected to officially announce this new discovery and embark on ensuring that the water benefits the local people and the Nation as a whole, possibly bringing to an end the water scarcity problem that the East African country has been grappling with for many decades.