1.3 WATER QUALITY BASELINE STUDY OBJECTIVE

Groundwater protection methods and emerging technologies play an important role in protecting human health and the environment at oil and natural gas production sites and they need to be applied by ReconAfrica to safeguard against the contamination of the scarce and essential groundwater resources in the Kavango region.

If indeed oil and gas resources are found, it is important that a detailed geohydrological and water quality assessment study be undertaken in the areas currently under exploration in Kavango.

Within the KAZA TFCA water is an important ecosystem service relevant to the extractive industries sector. The challenge is that the extractive industry sector may have severe impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services at different temporal and spatial levels. These activities may compromise vital ecosystem services and have far-reaching impacts on other major economic activities such as tourism and agriculture, especially in the vicinity of Protected Areas and other key biodiversity areas.

The objective of this study is to provide a brief and independent pre-drilling assessment of the current groundwater quality of used boreholes in the vicinity of the drill sites, so as to provide a baseline that can act as a reference for future studies and monitoring. Should any contamination occur from the stratigraphic wells or a fully developed well-field, this information can also be used as evidence and should be able to hold the company liable. Having this information at hand aims to increase the pressure on the company to adhere to appropriate practices and take water related risks seriously.

The scope of the work included:

Basic desktop assessment of existing community

production boreholes and, where possible, estimate the water use in the vicinity of the drilling well-field;

Identification and

Hydrocensus (taking water quality samples and recording of borehole details of nearby boreholes in use around the well fields); and

Sampling of at least four

boreholes where possible within about a 30km radius around each drill site and analysis of the standard national drinking water quality parameters as well as components that may be associated with oil and gas extraction processes.