Ouagadougou: The Russian Federal Agency for Subsoil Exploitation (Rosnedra) is ready to help African countries train specialists capable of exploring and exploiting mineral deposits. underground water. This is what the head of Rosnedra, Yevgeny Petrov, told TASS after the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
The official recalled that as part of his work in the intergovernmental commissions, his agency was responsible for cooperation with three African countries, namely Ghana, Mozambique and Ethiopia. He noted that in Africa, water was the most precious resource and the low availability of clean water contributed to a number of social problems. Given the scarcity of surface water sources such as rivers and lakes, Africa’s water supply problem could be solved by harnessing groundwater, he added.
‘But finding and exploiting groundwater deposits requires a number of unique skills. Only a few countries have these skills and technologies. And our country is one of the leaders with its unique scho
ol,’ said the head of Rosnedra.
‘The biggest problem today concerns executives. We need hydrogeologists capable of finding deposits in complicated climatic and geological conditions, and personnel capable of subsequently exploiting a deposit competently and correctly,’ he said.
According to the official, the training is not only about knowledge, but also about groundwater extraction technologies. ‘All this must be taught to our colleagues so that they acquire their own skills and, above all, establish their own school of hydrogeology,’ he said.
He pointed out that Ghana and Ethiopia had very great potential for groundwater extraction and could even potentially export water. At the same time, in addition to training specialists, African countries should set up an effective system for monitoring the use of groundwater and anthropogenic impact, he stressed.
Source: Burkina Information Agency