Can an Ancient Lake Save Sudan?
The discovery of underground remnants of an ancient lake in Sudan's arid Darfur region, offers hope of tapping a precious resource and easing water scarcity in the region. Researchers hope to drill at least 1,000 wells in the territory and pump the water to ease tensions among communities living there.
A four-year conflict in the region has killed more than 200,000 people, displaced more than 2.5 million others and sparked a regional humanitarian crisis after feeding instability in neighboring Chad and Central African Republic.
The water reservoir lies underneath a former highland lake whose features are covered by sand. The ancient lake occupied an area of 11,873 square miles, about the size of Lake Erie, and would have contained approximately 977 square miles of water when full.
Scientists plan to identify the best location for drilling the initial batch of wells. The government of neighboring Egypt has pledged to drill the first 20 wells, and the U.N. Mission in Sudan also plans to drill several more for use by its peacekeeping forces.
July 18, 2007 11:54 AM | Category: Drought