NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > TURNS OUT AFRICA HAD TONS OF WATER ALL ALONG
TURNS OUT AFRICA HAD TONS OF WATER ALL ALONG
July 20 2012
Windhoek, Namibia – One of the biggest issues affecting Africa and the ability of the nations there to even try to play catch up with the rest of the world has been the dearth of basic natural resources. True, there are many other issues that have impacted the continent through the ages but the essentials, like water, are really the biggest obstacle.
Things such as ruthless dictators, poverty, and disease are still pressing issues for many Africans but it is water, the source of all life on the planet, clean water in particular that is at the root of much of that. Dirty water creates disease, lack of water creates conflict and exploitation and because of the environment it is the one thing most difficult to acquire.
That is at least until now. A new discovery in one of the driest nations on the continent, Namibia, has pretty much solved the water issue for that country. Deep water aquifer has been uncovered with enough water to provide clean water to the north of the country for the next 400 years or so, removing one excuse for not being sophisticated and advanced, at least until someone declares war and ultimately poisons the water so no one can drink it.
“The amount of stored water would equal the current supply of this area in northern Namibia for 400 years, which has about 40 percent of the nation's population,” said project manager Martin Quinger who helped find the water. “What we are aiming at is a sustainable water supply so we only extract the amount of water that is being recharged. What we can say is that the huge amount of stored water is will always be enough for a back up for an area that is currently supplied only by surface water.”
It’s not clear if Quinger, a German, will try to find a way for his or for other governments to take the water from locals, or at least have foreigners manage the supply.
Thus far the water, despite being 10,000 years old, is still drinkable but that could change now that others have found out about it.
“This is certainly good news, great news even, for the people in the region at least in the short term. I mean you hope that it will be good news for the long term, that people in this area will have clean drinking water, clean water for irrigation which will allow them to grow crops and to flourish as a people but this is Africa,” said Scrape TV African analyst Claude Contee. “I mean it’s been a couple of days since this was found and no one has launched a military offensive against the supply so that’s certainly good news. That won’t last though, not even a chance of that lasting. It’s really a shock that it’s lasted this long.”
It’s believed Namibia could be attacked by, well, by just about everyone even remotely nearby.
“If they manage to hold onto even small amounts of this water it could do wonders for the region. Provided of course it isn’t poisoned or otherwise spoiled by human remains or the like which is very possible, likely even here in Africa,” continued Contee. “Hopefully that doesn’t happen but it will so there is no sense putting a whole lot of effort or thought or prayer into worrying about it any other way. This is Africa after all, water isn’t going to change that.”
Thus far no one has been killed over the water.
Emil Uliya, International Correspondent