The annual renewable groundwater resources in Angola have been estimated at around 58 km³ / year. Although wells are to be found all over the country, groundwater reserves are generally not significantly developed due to the easy availability of surface water. The most important aquifers are to be found in sedimentary deposits. The depth to groundwater varies from between 10 to 30 m in the Central Plateau around Huambo, between 5 to 30 m in the coastal zone and over 200 m in the semi–arid areas of the south in the Kunene basin where well yields are low (FAO 2005a).
Collecting water from a hand pump in the Kunene Province, Angola.
Source: Tump 2006
( click to enlarge )
Groundwater in the Basin
Despite the depth to groundwater, in an inventory of water points carried out in 1975, the majority of wells (more than 2 000) were to be found in the southwest of the country in and around the Kunene River basin. Rainfall is poor here and apart from the river there a few other water sources. Around 40 % of the country's wells are in the Kunene Province, 30 % in Huíla and 15 % in Namibe. Around 70 percent of the country’s livestock is also located in these provinces (Government of Angola 2005). The wells thus serve mainly domestic and pastoral needs with well yields generally being good to very good at between 1 to 10 litres per second.
Groundwater recharge in this area is very low and, according to groundwater model results from 1996, the aquifer itself is vulnerable to over-exploitation. Careful use of groundwater resources is therefore advised in the Kunene area, to avoid problems related to aquifer depletion (LNEC 1996).
