Ohangwena II
Ohangwena II is a groundwater reservoir in Namibia that was discovered in 2012 .
In 2012, a large groundwater reservoir was discovered in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin , which was named after the Ohangwena II region . The groundwater is of drinking water quality ; a total freshwater supply of 5 to 8 billion cubic meters is assumed (5 trillion to 8 trillion liters). The reservoir was found in the north of the country, which is very dry and almost entirely desert. It lies at a depth of 300 meters and, according to researchers from the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR for short), is around 10,000 years old. The groundwater probably came from the mountains of northern Angola . It is unclear whether new groundwater is still being formed from this source today.
According to the explorers, the water could be sufficient for almost half of Namibia's living population or for the entire population of northern Namibia for more than 400 years. The groundwater is under high pressure, so that no great effort has to be made to pump it from the surface of the earth by drilling. For the best possible development of the groundwater reservoir, at least 50 wells are required. A danger in the development of the groundwater, however, is salt water that occurs above the drinking water reservoir and could contaminate the groundwater below if it was improperly developed.
Web links
- BGR discovers huge groundwater resources: water for Namibia's north. BGR press release of July 23, 2012 (accessed on April 14, 2013)
- Gigantic drinking water reservoir found under Namibia. Spiegel online July 21, 2012
- Water for Namibia: Researchers find gigantic lake under the desert. Süddeutsche.de July 23, 2012