Aquifer supporting 14 million people under threat from overexploitation

By Sarah Mawarere for UBC Radio in Uganda

Groundwater is the most important source of drinking water for humans, livestock and wildlife. The Nile Basin Initiative, an intergovernmental partnership of 10 countries, says over 70 percent of the rural population in the Nile Basin region depend on groundwater. The Kagera Aquifer is one source, and is a lifeline for people in Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Human activities are degrading…