Groundwater: a matter of quality and quantity in Limpopo National Park

Abstract

Groundwater is a matter of quantity and quality, especially where groundwater is the primary source of water for people living in
the SADC (Southern African Development Community) region, because it is used, extensively, for multiple purposes, covering a
crucial role in supplying water for farming and domestic uses.
The large SADC area has limited surface and groundwater resources, because most of the water management areas are severely
stressed and many people still do not have access to the accepted minimum supply of water. Increasing water demand, population
growth, abstraction of surficial water and climate change are the main drivers on groundwater resources in SADC Region.
Water scarcity is becoming a limiting factor for economic development in the basin, as it is in many other basins located in
developing countries with arid climates, lagging water infrastructure development, and rapidly increasing populations.
The first step for a sound water resources planning is the knowledge of the hydrogeological conceptual model in the area under study.
Most rural communities in SADC are served by groundwater resources. Access to these resources is one and important critical
factors. The lack of management of groundwater resources is also evident in community water supplies, where in some cases
groundwater resources are developed in unsustainable way.
The aim of the present study is to design the water resources status quo, defining the hydrological conceptual model assessing the
hydrogeochemical properties of groundwater in the Limpopo National Park, one of the jewels in the crown of Mozambique’s
protected areas, in order to quantify the water balance and to provide recommendations for a future correct management, focusing
future research on this subject.