Can Groundwater Meet Africa's Demand for Water as Climates Change?: Groundwater and Climate in Africa: An International Conference; Kampala, Uganda, 24–28 June 2008

The impact of climate variability and change on groundwater resources remains poorly understood and is one of the most persistent knowledge gaps identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in both its Third (2001) and Fourth (2007) Assessment Reports. The common exclusion of groundwater from current monitoring and evaluation of the impacts of climate variability and change is of particular concern in Africa, where approximately half of its nearly 1 billion inhabitants rely upon groundwater for their daily water supply. Furthermore, future adaptations in response to climate change and rapid population growth are expected to intensify dependence upon ground water in Africa as communities seek to improve access to safe water and adequate sanitation pursuant to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, which include sustaining food security and promoting agricultural and industrial development.