| Academic Year | 2024-2025 |
| b.sisay.24@abdn.ac.uk | |
| Institution | University of Aberdeen |
Biography
School: School of Geosciences
Project: Sustainable Management of Fresh Groundwater Resources in Coastal East Africa – Using Lessons from the Past to Build Future Resilience to Climate and Environmental Change
Supervisors: Jean-Christophe Comte, Will Megarry & Joshua Wright
Undergraduate Education: BSc Geology, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Postgraduate Education: MSc Water & Sustainable Development, IHE Delft, The Netherlands; MSc Hydrogeology, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Research: My QUADRAT project is aimed at assessing the availability of fresh groundwater to support the future development of coastal communities on the East African coast. We will combine present hydrological data with past archaeological records of water (over)use that led, among other things, to the decline of the medieval city of Kilwa Kisiwani.
The project will provide a long-term perspective on the response of the coastal groundwater resources to environmental (including population growth and land use) and climate changes, to better understand their vulnerability and resilience to ongoing and future change. To do so, we will construct groundwater models based on and calibrated with, existing and new hydrological, environmental, and archaeological data on ancient water well use and conditions. We will use these models to further examine future scenarios of increased water demand and climate changes to inform the sustainable development of freshwater aquifers necessary to support the provision of freshwater to East African coastal and island communities for domestic, agricultural and industrial development.
Other:
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/belaym
- References
- Comte, J-C., R. Cassidy, J. Obando, N. Robins, K. Ibrahim, S. Melchioly, I. Mjemah, H. Shauri, A. Bourhane, I. Mohamed, C. Noel, B. Mwega, M. Makokha, J-L. Join, O. Banton, J. Davies (2016) Challenges in groundwater resource management in coastal aquifers of East Africa: Investigations and lessons learnt in the Comoros Islands, Kenya and Tanzania. Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies 5: 179-199.
- Pollard, E. (2012) Present and past threats and response on the east coast of Africa: an archaeological perspective. Journal of Coastal Conservation 16 (2): 143-158.
- Heron, S., J. Day, M. Mbogelah, R. Bugumba, E. Abraham, M. Bakari Sadi, N. Pauline, M. Said Khamis, S. Madenge, W. Megarry (2022) Application of the Climate Vulnerability Index for the Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and the Ruins of Songo Mnara, Tanzania. Dar es Salaam: CVI Africa Project.
