Managed Aquifer Recharge for Sustainable Water Supply in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Ghana

Year 2025, Volume: 20 Issue: 4, 193 - 206

Vıctor Oforı Agyemang

Abstract

The long dry season of about seven months with very high evaporation losses often lead to the drying up of numerous surface water bodies and affects effective aquifer recharge leading to dry up of some boreholes, and hand dug wells in some parts of Ghana. This affects sustainable groundwater supply in such parts of the country and calls for artificial means to augment the natural aquifer recharge especially in the dry seasons. Hence, the managed aquifer recharge (MAR) technique has been recommended for sustainable recharge of the aquifer systems in the dry seasons. MAR is the purposeful recharge of water to aquifers for subsequent recovery or for environmental benefit. It is a water resources management tool that encompasses a wide variety of water sources, recharge methods, and storage management practices. Application of MAR in the northern Ghana is gaining root. However, the MAR application is limited to the provision of water for farming during the dry season. Again, the findings of studies and the limited application in the Northern Ghana have proven the suitability of the technique to improve the groundwater resource management of the country. It is feasible to improve the resilience of the aquifer system and provide a more sustainable water supply during dry season by putting managed aquifer recharge into practice. The study has shown the suitability of the MAR application in the country.

Keywords

Climate change , fissured aquifer , Groundwater , Ghana , Irrigation , Managed aquifer recharge

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