4th July 2024 — Unguja, Zanzibar
The Ministry of Water, Energy and Minerals, Zanzibar has teamed up with the SADC Groundwater Management Institute (SADC-GMI) and Global Water Partnership Tanzania (GWPTZ) to undertake the archipelago’s most comprehensive groundwater assessment to date. The initiative aims to transform fragmented data and urgent anecdotal warnings into a clear, science-based roadmap for sustainable water management.
Why Groundwater Takes Centre Stage
With few perennial rivers and a fast-growing population, Zanzibar leans almost entirely on its karst aquifers for drinking water, tourism, and agriculture. Yet decades of unregulated well drilling - more than 22,000 private boreholes - have pushed many aquifers to the brink. Salt-water intrusion, diffuse pollution from inadequate sanitation, and climate-driven droughts have raised alarms across Unguja and Pemba.
SADC-GMI’s latest figures underscore the opportunity, southern Africa holds vast underground reserves, but the region exploits barely1.5 % of its potential. In Zanzibar, better data and governance could unlock safe supplies while protecting fragile aquifers.
Project at a Glance
A Catalyst for Broader Reform
The study dovetails with recent institutional restructuring that moves water-resource oversight from the utility (ZAWA) to a dedicated Water Resources Division. By pairing robust analytics with capacity building, the project is expected to fast-track Zanzibar’s progress toward SDG 6 - clean water and sanitation for all—and provide a replicable model for island states facing similar challenges.
Good science is the backbone of good policy, with reliable data and a stronger monitoring network, Zanzibar can safeguard its groundwater today and for generations to come. GWPTZ’s project lead.
For more information, please contact the Division of Water Resources, Ministry of Water, Energy and Minerals, Zanzibar, or Global Water Partnership Tanzania.
