Chad

Frances Marie

Water and Sanitation (WASH)

Climate Change Adaptation

RAWDP to understudy and expand the Magnetic Resonance Sounding (MRS) in Chad

Geologists in Chad  are using Magnetic Resonance Sounding (MRS) to take "x-rays" of the ground to find new water sources in eastern Chad, where more than 300,000 refugees from neighbouring countries have arrived in recent years. RAWDP has indicated a willingness to partner with the promoters of the technology, the France-based IRIS Instruments. IRIS manufactures the equipment and has trained experts  to use this technology to find water in Chad. RAWDP intends to deploy this technology in parts of Chad where it is seeking perennial ground water supplies for households.  Methods used to search for groundwater typically look at how rocks react to radar and electrical currents.  These methods could lead to false readings of the presence of water.  The magnetic resonance sounding is direct prospecting. "Here, a sign of water means there is water, which means less unnecessary drilling," said Pierre Michel Vincent, a hydrologist who recently worked with the Ministry of Water and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Chad.  "Only one out of three boreholes drilled in Chad produces water." Magnetic resonance sounding sends electrical currents through the earth in search of hydrogen atoms,  giving a reading of how much water the rocks hold. "This technique identifies where water is more quickly than traditional geophysical studies."

Refugees who have fled Sudan and Central African Republic constitute 35 percent of eastern Chad's estimated 700,000 population, according to the most recent census. Hydrologist Vincent said there  is not enough information on half of the 4,000 recorded water points in the area to know if they are still producing water.  We could drill 500 more wells now and still not have enough water.  People from local communities, as well as refugees, struggle to find even half of the  15 to 20 litres of water per day recommended for drinking, cooking and bathing.  Many were only able to secure six litres a day on average, said UNHCR.  "There is not enough water to provide for the expanded population - we could drill 500 more wells now and still not have enough water." Erratic and insufficient rainfall in 2009 resulted in Chad producing 34 percent less food than it did in 2008.  This has wiped out livestock and placed two million at risk of hunger in the country, the government noted.  The eastern town of Iriba, which hosts 55,000 refugees, received 135mm of rainfall in 2009.  In 1950, it received three times as much, according to state records.

Equipment manufacturers advise that  an entire sounding kit weighs around 350kg, requires training, and costs US$180,000. In the past five years, groups in Mauritania, Algeria, Morocco, Rwanda, Niger, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia have purchased magnetic resonance sounding equipment.  Its drawbacks are that it can only read 150 metres into the ground, and readings are sensitive to electromagnetic signals and power lines,  making readings in cities difficult, Bertrand said. After training in Goz Beida last October, IRIS Instrument and aid workers identified a promising location for water right outside the city, located 200km south of the eastern town Abéché.  Oxfam Intermonde, a global relief NGO, is studying drilling prospects.  Bernard said sounding complemented current groundwater search techniques, and might not be right for all situations. "If you can cure an illness with an aspirin, then there is no need to order the x-ray.  But with worsening water shortages, different techniques need to be considered.  The challenge and goal of groundwater exploration is to use the least amount of money to find as much water as possible."