Patrick Makuluni is a lecturer in the Mining Department of the University of Malawi, the Polytechnic and he is participating in a scientific research known as ‘Hidden Crisis’, under a project aimed at Unlocking the Potential of Groundwater for the benefit of the poor (UpGro).
Makuluni holds MSc in Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology from Curtin University in Australia and BSc in Civil Engineering from University of Malawi, the Polytechnic.
Recently, the scientist published a paper showing how to recognise where sediments (the exact piece of rock) are coming from by using the geometrical properties of the sediments as opposed to the more expensive methods that have been used previously.
PAMACC News reporter Isaiah Esipisu interviewed Makuluni during the recently concluded 41st Water Engineering and Development Center (WEDC) conference at the Engerton University, in Kenya’s Nakuru County. Below are the excerpts:
Q. How did you know about the UpGro project, and how did you join the team?
I was recruited by the Principal Investigator for the Hidden Crisis Project, Professor, Eng. Theresa Mkandawire. By then, September 2017, I was just coming into Malawi from Australia where I was doing my MSc in Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology. This was after data collection of phase one of the UpGro project had just been completed.
Q. In which UpGro study are you working on in Malawi?
I am the team leader for the physical science team of the phase two of the Hidden Crisis Project in Malawi. The study project seeks to completely understand failures of water points and how to keep water flowing from boreholes to reduce waste and thus improve water services for Africa’s poorest communities.
Q. What are the early findings of the study?
Some of the early findings of the study include the following: Functionality of boreholes in Malawi has been affected by theft and vandalism. This comes in because of lack of proper security principles from the borehole users and other factors beyond their control.
Poor water quality in some boreholes has also led people to stop using such boreholes and look for alternative sources.
Most boreholes have failed due to poor or lack of proper maintenance. This has been due to several factors including poverty, lack of proper management to raise funds for maintenance among other reasons.
Poor downhole conditions also leads to frequent borehole breakdowns and poor water quality which both affect the borehole functionality. Some or most of the boreholes have silted up which reduces their capacity to cater for the communities.
Political issues from the government and within the communities also affect borehole functionality.
Q. What new lessons have you learned through this study?
This study has taught me a lot of lessons. Firstly, I have learned how to be a good team leader in the field and in the offices. Being in the field (remote areas) is not an easy thing and more to that, making sure that every member of the team is happy with all the activities was not an easy thing.
I have also learned to persevere during hostile conditions while making sure that goals of the project are being achieved. More importantly I have gained a lot of technical skills including hydrogeological skills, field water chemistry, pumping and recovery tests and those involving groundwater and community water point management. I have also gained research skills.
Q. How has the UpGro work impacted on your teaching career?
Teaching/lecturing in college goes hand in hand with research. Thus, research is a vital component in every lecturer’s career and Hidden Crisis Project has improved my research skills and increased my desire to publish more. The data we have gotten from this project will be available for research and publication of various papers which I intend to be part of.
Q. What message would you give to your students based on this project?
In the mining industry, areas that have not been explored properly or thoroughly are called “Green Areas/fields”. So, the message to my students is that ground water in Malawi and most of African countries is a green field. There is more that people do not know about ground water, additionally, groundwater has the potential to reduce water problems and poverty in Malawi thereby ameliorating living standards. More research is needed in this area
Q. What areas do you think may need further study in regard to unlocking the potential of groundwater?
• The direct link between the geochemical properties of rocks around a water point and the water chemistry which may have impact on borehole functionality
• How different people’s beliefs impact on water point management which affects functionality of boreholes. This might involve comparing borehole functionality within areas inhabited by people of different tribes, beliefs and social-political norms
• How different geological environments affect the silting up of boreholes which may have an impact on functionality of boreholes
Q. What are your future plans beyond UpGro project?
I want to pursue my PhD and continue with more research
Patrick was one of the UPGro Early Career Researchers that presented their work at the 41st WEDC Conference at Egerton University, Nakuru Kenya (9-13 July 2018)
BUJUMBURA, Burundi, (PAMACC News) - Pour faire face à la déforestation abusive, des initiatives privées voient le jour pour sauver l’arbre. C’est le cas de l’entreprise privée Burundi Quality Stoves (B.Q.S) qui fabrique, à base des déchets agro-pastoraux, des briquettes utilisées pour la cuisson.
Les parches de café, les balles de riz, les copeaux de bois, les déchets de coton, la bouse de vache, … sont désormais valorisés. « Leur mixage donne des briquettes avec une valeur calorifique très élevée par rapport aux charbons ou bois de chauffage », décrit Dénis Ntibandetse, Chef du personnel au B.Q.S.
Cette valeur se situe entre 3900 et 4000 kilocalories (kcal) tandis qu’elle varie entre 3000 et 3800 kcals pour le charbon. Et de définir : « La calorie est l’unité d’énergie nécessaire pour élever la température d’un gramme d’eau de 1°C ».
L’idée de la création de cette entreprise ayant été importée d’Asie. Et ce, motive-t-il, dans le but de protéger l’environnement, créer l’emploi et permettre aux ménages de faire des économies.
La fabrication suit tout un processus : « Après la collecte, il faut une période de séchage au soleil car certains déchets comme la bouse de vache ont un taux d’humidité assez élevé ».
Vient ensuite l’étape du mélange, selon la disponibilité des matières premières. « La part de la parche du café est toujours supérieure avec un taux de 40% par rapport aux autres matières parce qu’elle a un pouvoir calorifique plus élevé. »
Pour avoir 900kg de briquettes, il leur faut une tonne de matières premières. Le Chef du personnel à l’entreprise B.Q.S fait savoir qu’il est impossible d’avoir une briquette avec une seule catégorie de déchets. « Elle ne serait pas consistante. »
Les matières premières sont abondantes et à bon marché. Selon lui, 1 kg de parche de café étant acheté à 40 BIF (0,02$) par kg, celui des balles du riz à 100 BIF (0,05$) par kg tandis qu’une benne de la bouse de vache 50.000 BIF (28,34$). « Et le produit final est vendu à 350BIF (0,19$) le kg ». Un sac de charbon de 50 kg étant vendu actuellement à 29.000BIF (16,43$).
Les usagers sont satisfies
« A un ménage ou une école par exemple, elles permettent de diminuer 4 fois les dépenses mensuelles », affirme M.Ntibandetse. Soit 1.500BIF (0,8$) de thésaurisation par jour pour un ménage dépensant 2.000BIF (1,1$) par jour en charbon. Le temps de la cuisson est également réduit.
Il est respectivement estimé à 10 minutes pour l’eau bouillante de la pâte à farine de manioc ou de maïs, 30 minutes pour le riz et une heure et demi pour les haricots.
M. Ntibandetse décrit ces briquettes comme des biocombustibles très peu polluants et avec un taux de cendres très abattu. « 2 à 5% contre 15% pour le charbon ». Leur disponibilité quelle que soit la saison est également la spécialité de ces briquettes.
Les usagers ne disent pas le contraire. « C’est vraiment un meilleur combustible », témoigne Dieudonné Manampa, directeur de l’Ecole d’Excellence de Matana, province Bururi, au sud du Burundi, à une soixantaine de km de Bujumbura, la capitale.
Depuis son utilisation, il y a trois ans, ces briquettes leur ont permis de réduire le personnel de cuisine surtout les bûcherons : « Elles n’exigent pas trop d’efforts. Après leur alimentation, les cuisiniers peuvent vaquer à d’autres activités.»
Les dépenses en approvisionnement en combustibles ont été réduites à zéro. B.Q.S. met à leur disposition des fours, des foyers améliorés compatibles avec ces briquettes. Leur prix varie entre 5000BIF (2,8$) et 15.000 BIF (8,5$).
Au niveau des ménages, Joseph Kabura, un père de famille, de Mutanga-Nord, commune Ntahangwa, au nord de Bujumbura, abonde dans le même sens: « Avec le charbon, je déboursais autour de 58.000BIF (32,8$) par mois. Mais, 3 kg de briquettes suffisent par jour. J’ai un gain de 26.500BIF (15$) par mois ».
Sauver l’arbre pour un développement durable
Au Burundi, le taux de déforestation a atteint, il y a quatre ans, 9% selon les données du ministère en chargé de l’environnement. La même source indique que dans la seconde moitié des années 1970, le gouvernement burundais d’alors (2ème République dirigée par Feu Jean Baptiste Bagaza), s'est investi dans un vaste programme de reboisement avec l'appui des bailleurs de fonds et donateurs. Ainsi que le taux de couverture forestière est passé de 3% en 1978 à 7% en 1993.
Des efforts qui ont été presque réduits à zéro par la crise politico-ethnique de 1993. Ce qui a entraîné la destruction d'environ 30.000 hectares de boisements, selon les données du même ministère. A cela, il faut ajouter que plus de 90 % des Burundais utilisent le bois comme source d’énergies pour cuire.
En fabriquant les briquettes, B.Q.S se veut protecteur de l’arbre. Ici, M. Ntibandetse signale que 4000 ha d’arbres sont sauvegardés par an. Une contribution importante pour stopper la déforestation et faire face aux changements climatiques.
En effet, explique-t-il, 1 ha d’arbres donne 60 tonnes de bois soit six tonnes de charbon. « Ce qui constitue une consommation journalière moyenne de 3.000 ménages ». Et d’en déduire que la coupe de bois est réduite à 90%, permettant également la protection de la couche d’ozone.
NJORO, Kenya (PAMACC News) - Five African early career research scientists took to stage at the 41st Water Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC)’s International Conference at the Egerton University in Kenya to showcase ongoing research achievements so far under a project to unlock the potential of groundwater for the poor.
Drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and Ethiopia, the young researchers discussed some of the complex social science, physical science and practical issues given their experience in two research areas namely Gro for GooD, through which scientists are developing a ground water risk management in Kenya, and the Hidden Crisis, which is unravelling current failures for future success in rural groundwater supply.
“Am not shy to say that it is my first time to participate in a research of this magnitude,” said Willy Sasaka, Assistant Hydrogeologist from the Rural Focus Company, which is coordinating the Gro4GooD research in Kenya.
Guided by scientists from the University of Nairobi, Oxford University, the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, and the University of Barcelona, the research project has led to discovery of two paleochannels in Kenya’s Kwale County, which is the main source of groundwater that drives the tourism industry along Diani beach, serves residents of Ukunda, and supports a large scale irrigated sugarcane farming initiative in Kwale among others.
Sasaka made his presentation alongside his colleague, Suleiman Mwakuria, who explained how the scientists have been able to involve the local community in the research, including students who help in reading rain gauges among other things.
Patrick Makuluni, a geologist from Malawi talked about functionality and failures of boreholes in his country, showcasing slides to show how scientists have been able to identify reasons why boreholes fail soon after they have been sunk.
“Millions of pounds of investment by water users, charities and tax-payers are wasted each year by water points failing soon after construction,” he told delegates at an event organised by the Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN) on the sidelines of the WEDC conference. “Getting a more complete understanding of how to keep water flowing from boreholes will reduce waste and improve water services for Africa’s poorest communities,” said Makuluni.
So far, the Malawi study, through which the scientists dismantled 50 functioning and dead boreholes to examine the underlying causes of failure, has already come up with preliminary findings.
“We found out that one of the causes of borehole failure was vandalism,” said Makuluni. Other boreholes were abandoned due to poor water quality, some due to poor maintenance; others were silted, while in some cases there were governance problems.
However, the young scientist noted that the researchers are yet to do data analysis, compile results, make reports and disseminate the findings.
Yehualaeshet Tadesse, young female scientists from Ethiopia presented a similar case, but focusing on social causes for poorly functioning water pumps in her country.
In Ethiopia, 170 water pumps in nine districts were surveyed in the first phase of the research project, where it was found that lack of village level operation and maintenance skilled manpower was one of the contributing factors for water pump failure.
“We also found out that water pumps located in areas with alternative water sources such as springs, streams, private water scheme were poorly maintained,” said Tadesse.
She pointed out that pumps on non-communal land were often neglected, and as well, communities with limited finance and savings did not manage their boreholes well.
In Uganda, Joseph Okullo from Makerere University talked about rainfall variability, and how it affected groundwater in his country.
“Rainfall chloride concentration was interestingly found to be higher during drier season,” he told the WEDC delegates.
The 41st WEDC International Conference is co-hosted with Egerton University, on Egerton main campus (near Nakuru) in Kenya between July 9 and 13, 2018. The conference is a valued and respected platform for reflection, debate and exchange of knowledge and ideas that are rooted in practice.
KISUMU, Kenya (PAMACC News) - Maurince Otieno has been a fisherman for over 15 years. He inherited this outstanding skill of fishing from his late grandfather George Omollo Otieno who was a renowned fisherman in his time.
For the past several months, Otieno who does his fishing along the shores of Dunga beach in Lake Victoria has been experiencing difficulties in his fishing expedition despite his bloodline skills.
Otieno, currently in his late 40s says he no longer harvests sufficient fish to meet the needs of his immediate and extended family that depends on him.
This has made him a very scared man. He is afraid of what the future holds for him and his family as his only source of income continues to diminish very fast.
“We are doomed. I don’t know how I will support my family now that I hardly have any catch. I am a worried man,” he says as we set out for a fish expedition along the shores of Lake Victoria in Dunga beach.
Ever since the passing on of his father more than 10 years ago, Otieno notes he has been eking out a living out of the turbulence waters of Lake Victoria.
He observes that his father and grandfathers, were all fishermen and they passed the skills of fishing on to their siblings.
But Otieno notes that the tradition that has always been passed down from one generation to another was bound to come to an end in his life time as fishing spots continue to diminish along the shores of Lake Victoria.
“I am certain that my generation will have nothing to pass down to coming generation as it has been our norm and tradition,” stresses Otieno in a low tone with a sense of disappointment.
He notes that his family has been forced to find alternative ways to make a living besides fishing which has been their bloodline.
“I don’t know what is happening to our God given lake, we hardly catch any fish,” narrates Otieno as he jumps into his dilapidated boat.
“You see all these,” he says as he hands me a life jacket and shows me a fleet of abandon boats that were on the verge of rotting, “the owners abandon them here due to declining fish in the lake.”
With disillusionment evident in his hoarse voice, he engages the forward gear to his boat and the engine roars as we begin to drift and gain momentum as the boat accelerates.
I engage a handful of fishermen that we find and their sentiments were similar.
After three hours of fishing with no success, we docked the boat at the shores of Dunga beach.
It was at this beach that I was lucky to bump into a researcher and scientist who according to Otieno has been doing “serious research “of the lake.
Dickson Wallace, the scientist and researcher says she has been conducting research on the lake for over three years.
Wallance notes that the lake was adversely being impacted negatively by the climate change that is common with extreme weather patterns over a period of time.
He attributes extreme weather changes to climate change, which he says was also being experienced not only in Nyanza region of Kenya but also across other neighbouring towns.
To this end, he observes that the rampant variation particularly in temperatures, may have been the cause of declining marine life at Africa’s Largest Lake - Lake Victoria.
“It is no doubt that a significant number of aquatic marine are usually affected by extreme weather conditions caused by climate changes,” he says.
A report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) this year which assessed the extinction risk of 651 freshwater species in Lake Victoria including fish and aquatic plants found that up to 24 percent of these species are being threatened with extinction.
The world nature watchdog cautioned that, "three-quarters (76 percent) of these endemics are at risk of extinction."
Will Darwall, the co-author of the report who heads IUCN's freshwater biodiversity unit said in the report that although "the Lake Victoria Basin is incredibly rich in unique species found nowhere else on Earth, its biodiversity is being decimated."
Apart from climate change, the report attributed this to Industrial and agricultural pollution, invasion of the deadly water hyacinth, over-harvesting of fish and wetland degradation among others.
One of the worst affected fish species is the African Lungfish, according to this report.
As discovered by this report, Kibet Chemiron, a marine expert and fellow at the University of Port Elizabeth in South Africa, confirms the negative effects of climate change on freshwater species in Lake Victoria.
According to Kibet, most aquatic animal species that are used for human consumption are poikilothermic (animals whose internal body temperatures change with the temperature around them) and are usually affected by extreme weather brought by climate change.
Chemiron explains that any changes in habitat temperatures usually influence fish metabolism, growth rate, productivity, seasonal reproduction, and susceptibility to diseases and toxins.
“Fish population may be reducing drastically as a result of these factors emanating from climate change,” he says.
Rose Anyango, a resident who has a mini food joint at the beach says they no longer have access to clean water.
“The dams where we used to access clean water are now filled with mad caused by flooding water,” she states.
This article was made possible thanks to support from InfoNile and Code for Africa.
