Integrated assessment of hydrogeology and water quality for groundwater-based irrigation development in the Raya Valley, northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Ambitious plans for expanding the area under irrigation in Ethiopia have not been adequately underpinned by assessments of the actual potential. A detailed hydrogeological study was conducted in one of the focal areas for expansion, in the northern part of the country. The study revealed that there are large groundwater reserves within the valley floor's Quaternary alluvial sediments and underlying Tertiary fractured volcanic rocks. Levels of salinity and sodicity do not pose constraints for agricultural water use. In the valley-floor aquifers there would appear to be sufficient water to support large- and small-scale irrigation development.