The Uganda Atlas

Ground water

Credit.........

Simondwa 2006

The water problem in Kamuli District, Eastern Uganda makes harnessing of ground water the best option: children collect water from a community ground water pump (borehole).

Children access water from a protected spring in Bugiri District (2005)

Although exploitation of surface water resources still accounts for more than 50% of the population needs, ground water resources are increasingly becoming important. However, its full potential is yet to be established, and it is believed that its development will go a long way in meeting the projected increased demand in future. Ground water potential in the country is mainly determined by the geology and rainfall in a given area. Generally, areas underlain by fine grain rocks and soils have low ground water potential because of limited infiltration compared to those with coarse grain rocks and sandy soils. Similarly, low rainfall areas have low ground water because of low infiltration. The geology of Uganda is not especially rich in ground water because of lack of true aquifers. Ground water is often readily available from fissures in the Gneissic Complex at about 100 m depth. The bulk of Uganda is under-lain by this Gneissic Complex which is of pre- Cambrian age. In the limited area of the country where ground water resources have been exploited, there is evidence of gradual decrease in the level of ground water which has been attributed to abstraction in access of yield. There is need for surveying and mapping of ground water resources potential in the country and assessing the sensitivity of this resource to excessive abstraction.

Communities in Northern Uganda access unsafe surface water for domestic use (2005)

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