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Evaluation of groundwater resources in the Geba basin, Ethiopia

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Abstract

This article presents an assessment of the groundwater resources in the Geba basin, Ethiopia. Hydrogeological characteristics are derived from a combination of GIS and field survey data. MODFLOW groundwater model in a PMWIN environment is used to simulate the movement and distribution of groundwater in the basin. Despite the limited data available, by simplifying the model as a single layered semi-confined groundwater system and by optimising the transmissivity of the different lithological units, a realistic description of the groundwater flow is obtained. It is concluded that 30,000 m3/day of groundwater can be abstracted from the Geba basin for irrigation in a sustainable way, in locations characterised by shallow groundwater in combination with aquitard-type lithological units.

Résumé

L’article présente une évaluation des ressources en eau du bassin de Geba en Ethiopie. Les caractéristiques hydrogéologiques sont établies à partir de données de terrain représentées sur SIG. Le modèle hydrogéologique Modflow est utilisé en environnement Pmwin afin de simuler les écoulements d’eau dans le bassin. Malgré le nombre limité de données disponibles, en simplifiant le modèle en un système aquifère stratifié semi-confiné et en optimisant les transmissivités des différentes unités lithologiques, une description réaliste des écoulements souterrains est obtenue. On conclut que 30 000 m3/j d’eau souterraine peuvent être extraits du bassin de Geba pour les besoins d’irrigation, de façon durable, en des zones caractérisées par des eaux souterraines peu profondes au sein d’unités lithologiques de type aquitard.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium

    Kibrewossen Tesfagiorgis, Tesfamichael Gebreyohannes & Florimond De Smedt

  2. NOAA-CREST Center, City College of New York, T-107 Steinman Hall, 140th St. and Convent Ave., New York, NY, 10031, USA

    Kibrewossen Tesfagiorgis

  3. Mekelle University, PO Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia

    Tesfamichael Gebreyohannes & Miruts Hagos

  4. Royal Museum for Central Africa, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium

    Jan Moeyersons

  5. Department of Geography, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Jan Nyssen

  6. Division for Land and Water Management, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001, Leuven, Belgium

    Jozef Deckers

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  1. Kibrewossen Tesfagiorgis
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  2. Tesfamichael Gebreyohannes
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  3. Florimond De Smedt
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  4. Jan Moeyersons
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  5. Miruts Hagos
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  6. Jan Nyssen
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  7. Jozef Deckers
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Correspondence to Kibrewossen Tesfagiorgis.

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Tesfagiorgis, K., Gebreyohannes, T., De Smedt, F. et al. Evaluation of groundwater resources in the Geba basin, Ethiopia. Bull Eng Geol Environ 70, 461–466 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-010-0338-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-010-0338-3

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