African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability

African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability ISSN 2375-0936 Vol. 13 (6), pp. 001-008, June, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Sustainable Groundwater Development and Management in Nigeria: An Integrated Assessment Approach

H. O. Nwankwoala

Department of Geology, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 15 March, 2025

Nigeria has greater challenges when it comes to groundwater development and management. The management of the resource is lagging behind the pace of development, and often, very little control is exercised in its exploitation. The current groundwater resources development and supply status is unacceptably low and needs a major transformation. With the rapid growth in population, urbanization, industrialization and competition for economic development, groundwater resource has become vulnerable to depletion and degradation. Management of this valuable resource is determined by its acceptability and utilizability in terms of quantity and quality. Due to imbalance between demand and availability, management approaches are facing various ethical dilemas. Against this context, relevant questions present themselves: What is the real extent of the problems? Why are the present efforts so limited?; and what can be done to change the situation, to start on a path to more sustainable and equitable development and management of groundwater resources? To be able to adequately address the questions and devise intelligent answers, an analysis of the present impediments deserves attention. Only by clarifying the constraints and addressing them, will any significant changes be possible, let alone occur. This paper therefore emphasizes that the machinery of groundwater resources development and management needs an urgent overhauling with the aim of streamlining the overlapping functions of the various agencies that have operated the system up till now. More importantly, the paper suggested integrated approaches/strategies for sustainable management as well as offers some relevant policy recommendations for groundwater management in Nigeria.

Key words: Groundwater resources, groundwater management, groundwater policy, sustainability, groundwater utilization, Nigeria.
 

African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability ISSN 2375-0936 Vol. 13 (5), pp. 001-010, May, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Water Scarcity Mitigation in Mining: A System Dynamics Approach for Decision Support at Jwaneng Diamond Mine

Sennye Masike

University of Botswana, Department of Environmental Science, Private Bag 0022, Gaborone. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 3 March, 2025

Business operations under water scarcity requires efficient water management to avoid disruptions to prolong lifespan of the water resources. One way to enhance effective water resource management is the use of approaches that study the system in holistically. One such approach is system dynamic approach. Thus, in this article, water use by mining sector in Botswana is assessed using system dynamic approach. Results indicate that water use per tonne at the mine is highly erractic. Consequently, this leads to ineffective water resource management. Simulation of the developed model reveal that if average water consumption of 0.8 m3/t is achieved, the mine could have saved a total of 0.26 million m3 for 3 years. Moreover, findings also reveal that water use is also highly erratic. Results from the simulating reveal that reducing water use per tonnage and increasing water reuse will lead to water saving and conservation at the mines.

Key words: System dynamic approach, demand, supply, use, reuse, feedbacks, system, mine.
 

African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability ISSN 2375-0936 Vol. 13 (4), pp. 001-006, April, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Water Use Efficiency and Yield Response of Corchorus olitorius to Different Soil Moisture Regimes

J. T. Fasinmirin* and A. A. Olufayo
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria

Accepted 13 March, 2025

Yield and water use efficiency of Corchorus olitorius was investigated under field conditions using three irrigation water management strategies replicated three times in a typical sandy loamy soil at the teaching and research farm of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. The experiment was performed during the dry season of 1999 and early rainy season of 2000. The biomass yield at maturity (7 WAP) in 1999 was 5.22 t.ha-1 for crop at full irrigation (one pan evaporation, EP), 4.14 t.ha-1 at medium level irrigation (¾ EP) and 1.96 t.ha-1 at low level irrigation (½ EP). The biomass yields in 2000 were 7.27 t.ha-1 (1 EP), 5.89 t.ha-1 (¾ EP) and 3.66 t.ha-1 (½ EP) respectively. The differences in above ground biomass among irrigation treatments were highly significant (P = 0.05). The water use efficiencies for biomass yield at 49 days after planting in 1999 were 0.70 kgm-3 of water at 1 EP, 0.59 kgm-3 of water at ¾ EP, and 0.15 kgm-3 of water at ½ EP; whereas, WUE values in 2000 were 0.58 kgm-3, 0.54 kgm-3 and 0.19 kgm-3 for irrigation treatments 1 EP, ¾ EP and ½ EP respectively. Results showed a significant decrease in water WUE with decreasing water application for biomass production. Higher biomass yield and WUE of C. olitorius can be achieved when the crop is grown at full irrigation (1 EP)

Key words: Irrigation, biomass yield, pan evaporation, water use efficiency (WUE), jute mallow.
 

African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability ISSN 2375-0936 Vol. 13 (3), pp. 001-005, March, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Exploring Indigenous Knowledge Uptake in Agricultural Water Management: A Case Study of Dry Regions in Iran

Seyed Jamal F. Hosseini1*, Azita Zand2 and Masoumeh Arfaee3
1Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2Islamic Azad University, IslamShahr Branch, IslamShahr, Iran.
3Islamic Azad University, Ashtian Branch, Ashtian, Iran.

Accepted 26 January, 2025

Experts in Iran were surveyed in order to explore their perception about the factors that influence farmers to adopt the indigenous knowledge in water management in agriculture sector. The methodology used in this study involved a combination of descriptive and quantitative research. The total population was 150 experts from Ministries of Agriculture and Interior. The results of factor analysis indicated that the factors were categorized into four groups, namely social, extension education, economic and managerial factors ordered by the magnitude of their impact.
Key words: Indigenous knowledge, agriculture sector, water, Iran.
 

African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability ISSN 2375-0936 Vol. 13 (2), pp. 001-010, February, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Hydro-Meteorological Analysis for Streamflow Estimation in the Western Himalayas: A Case Study of Gangotri Glacier Basin

Pratap Singh1*, Amit Kumar2, Naresh Kumar3 and Naval kishore2

1    INRM, Consultants, C-23 Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110 016, India.
2Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, Department of Geology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160 014, India.
3    National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, Roorkee-247667, India.

Accepted 22 November, 2024

This study investigates the relationships between hydrological and meteorological data collected near the snout of Gangotri Glacier, Indian Himalayas for the different ablation seasons (May - October). The complete analysis employs a hydro- meteorological data series for a period of 7 years (2000 - 2006). The first 5 years data (2000 - 2004) was used for determining correlations, lag -cross-correlations and multivariate regression analyses between daily mean discharge, daily mean temperature and daily rainfall , whereas, last 2 years data (2005 - 2006) was used to simulate the daily discharge using established relationship. Changes in correlations between discharge and meteorological variables, lagged by 0 - 3 days, were determined. Variations in the physical features of the glacier, weather conditions, and precipitation and its distribution with time over the basin account for changes in correlations. The analysis suggests a very high discharge auto- correlation for each individual year and for the combined data series of 5 years. The substantial storage of melt water in the glacier body and its delayed response of the runoff attribute to the high dependency of a particular day discharge on its pervious day’s discharge. A comparison of correlations between discharge and temperature, and discharge and rain shows that temperature has a better correlation with discharge series for all the years. To estimate the discharge for Gangotri Glacier basin, multiple linear regression equations were developed separately for each ablation season and a combined data set of 5 ablation seasons. The generalized regression equation developed using stepwise regression approach for the data set of 5 years (2000 - 2004) was adopted to estimate daily mean discharge for 2005 and 2006. For both simulation years, the simulation efficiency was very high (R 2 = 0.96). It is found that discharge of study basin is well represented Qi-1 (1-day lagged discharge) and T i, Ti-1, T i-2 (0 - 2 days lagged temperature) and R i (0-day lagged rain). Such relationships can be used for filling the missing discharge data as well as for forecasting of discharge.

Key words: Gangotri Glacier basin, Himalayas, glacierized basins, meteorological variables, estimation of melt-runoff.

African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability ISSN 2375-0936 Vol. 13 (1), pp. 001-010, January, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Comparative Adsorption of Cadmium by Moringa stenopetala and Moringa oleifera Seed Powders: Effects of Time, Temperature, and pH

L. M. Mataka1, S. M. I. Sajidu1*, W. R. L. Masamba1,2 and J. F. Mwatseteza1

1Chemistry Department, Chancellor College, University of Malawi, P. O. Box 280, Zomba, Malawi.
2Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre, P/Bag 285, Maun, Botswana.

Accepted 10 November, 2025

There is a widespread recognition that the presence of heavy metals such as cadmium in water is hazardous to the environment and human health and their discharge into surface waters is of great concern world wide. The use of natural coagulants such as Moringa for heavy metal removal from water replacing expensive imported synthetic coagulants is particularly appropriate for agro-based developing countries such as Malawi. This study was aimed at investigating the potential of Moringa stenopetala and Moringa oleifera in the removal of cadmium(II) ions from water. The potential of M. stenopetala for cadmium removal was investigated by means of jar test beakers. With an initial cadmium concentration of 7 mg/l, M. stenopetala seed powder, at a dose of 2.50 g/100 ml, reduced the concentration of cadmium by 53.8%. Comparison of removal capacities between M. stenopetala and M. oleifera indicated that M. stenopetala was more effective than M. oleifera in removing cadmium from water (p < 0.05). Increasing initial cadmium concentration, agitation time and ionic strength reduced cadmium removal. Equilibrium sorption was attained at pH 5 where maximum cadmium removals were 82.7 and 70.7% using M. stenopetala and M. oleifera respectively. There was a reduction in cadmium removal between 0 to 60°C for M. stenopetala and 0 - 40°C for M. oleifera before increasing with subsequent temperature increases. It was also shown that cadmium sorption at 30°C and pH 3 for the M. oleifera could best be modelled by the Freundlich isotherm whereas the Langmuir model is slightly better than the Freundlich isotherm in the case of the M. Stenopetala. The energies of adsorption from Dubinin-Radushkevich models have indicated that cadmium removal using both powders is based on physisorption. The results indicate that M. stenopetala and M. oleifera have potential in cadmium remediation of polluted waters.

Key words: Cadmium, Moringa oleifera, Moringa stenopetala, water pollution, remediation, Freundlich, Langmuir, Dubini-Radushkevich isotherms.