For the first time ever, scientists have mapped out the
underground reservoirs of water throughout Africa and found that
the northern part of the continent has the most groundwater
stored. Contrary to the common notions, beneath Africa's vast
desert landscapes there exists about 0.66 million km3 of
groundwater, a hundred times more than can be found on the
surface and twenty times more than in Africa's lakes.
Researchers from the British Geological Survey (BGS) and
University College-London mapped out the groundwater reservoirs,
also known as aquifers, by cross-referencing a geological base
map of the African continent with previously published maps of
the African continent's aquifers, in addition to conducting
studies of 283 African aquifers. The results were the first
"quantitative groundwater maps for Africa." As the climate
became drier, transforming the Sahara into a desert, water was
trapped underneath the surface in these aquifers more than 5,000
years ago. In Africa, more than 300 million people do no