Enhancing resilience through managed aquifer recharge in the Tuli Karoo Transboundary Aquifer Area: What is the potential?

The Tuli Karoo Transboundary Aquifer Area (12,294 km²) – shared by Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe – is home to more than 120,000 people that utilize water for domestic needs, agriculture and mining. However, water availability for these uses is severely constrained by low rainfall, high evaporation and significant rainfall…

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Agricultural water and nutrient management solutions to support smallholder irrigation schemes: Lessons from the Ramotswa Transboundary Aquifer Area, Limpopo River Basin

Rural agricultural development has great potential to alleviate poverty, reduce food insecurity, and improve rural livelihoods and climate resilience in Africa. Despite the small area under irrigation, the value of irrigated agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa comprises about 25% of total agricultural output. Due to the significant amount of water used…

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Improving Irrigation Efficiency during a Pandemic: the Tuli Karoo Experience

Improving food security and farm-based livelihoods is among the central challenges of our time and key to fostering progress toward a set of Sustainable Development Goals such as reducing hunger and poverty. The primary pathway for enhancing food security and farming livelihoods – boosting agricultural production – is nonetheless constrained…

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Project Brief: A first step toward integrated management: Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis of the shared Tuli Karoo System, Limpopo River Basin

The Tuli Karoo Aquifer Area — as well as the broader surface water system that encompasses the aquifer — is shared among Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and forms part of the Limpopo River Basin. There has been very little investigation into the Tuli Karoo aquifer or the associated surface…

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Improving irrigation water and nutrient efficiency in the Tuli Karoo through virtual learning: a “new normal”?

In the dry and arid climate of the Tuli Karoo System, located at the confluence of Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, irrigated agriculture can bridge dry spells and droughts, boost climate change adaptation for increased food production. Limited water resources call for more efficient irrigation water use, to stretch limited…

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Project Brief: Joint Strategic Action Plan for the Ramotswa Transboundary Aquifer Area

Cooperative development and management of shared waters is widely recognized for its role in enhancing water security and increasing resilience. Protocols under the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) call for cooperation on transboundary waters. Also, Target 6.5 under Goal 6 of the United Nations Sustainable Development…

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