Mapping water potential: The use of WATEX to support UNHCR refugee camp operations

In 2004 the UNHCR commissioned the use of remote sensing to map the potential of buried water reservoirs in the massive Ouaddaï region in eastern Chad. The UN needed to discover renewable water sources urgently and efficiently, as the challenge of providing water to Sudanese refugees and their local host communities was overwhelming. Using a proprietary process called WATEX, French exploration firm RTF analyzed a variety of remotely sensed data to identify areas suitable for refugee camps along the Chadian border near Darfur. Early results are impressive – after drilling test wells at Wadi Dalal, one of RTF’s recommended sites, the UNHCR established a major camp in early 2005, announcing that the camp has enough water to support up to 30,000 refugees. This paper provides an overview of the data and methods employed in eastern Chad. It also provides a promising example of how geospatial technologies can support humanitarian operations in arid and semi-arid regions