UNICEF IWASH Project, Northern Region, Ghana : an adapted training manual for groundwater development

This report is an adapted training manual, with specific best practice recommendations for groundwater development practitioners working in the Northern Region, Ghana. It is designed to be used in conjunction with the existing comprehensive training manual ‘Developing Groundwater: a guide to rural water supply’ by MacDonald, Davies, Calow and Chilton (2005). The additional guidelines provided in this supplementary report are specific to the Northern Region of Ghana, and have been informed by a review of groundwater development in the region which BGS carried out on behalf of UNICEF in 2010-2011. The Northern Region is a difficult area in which to find and develop groundwater resources. For this reason, more resources – time and money – need to be focussed on careful borehole siting and development in order to maximise success. This includes detailed desk and field reconnaissance surveys; the effective use and interpretation of geophysical siting methods; collection of good quality data during drilling and test pumping; rigorous recording and management of data; and effective interpretation, sharing and use of hydrogeological information by all groundwater development practitioners. This report, and the associated manual ‘Developing Groundwater’, provide practical help for carrying out these activities effectively. The authors gratefully acknowledge those persons who contributed to the formation of these guidelines, who include: UNICEF Ghana – Othniel Habila, Kabuka Banda and David Ede Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), Ghana – John Aduakye Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) – Hydrogeological Assessment Project (HAP) – James Racicot All participants at the UNICEF/BGS workshop and training programme held in Tamale, Northern Region, from 7 to 18 February 2011