GOOD WORKS
when a flash flood swept through, ripping up water lines. Being the only hydrogeologist around, he was asked by UNHCR to do emer- gency well inspections and check up on water chemistry. He was appalled — both by the small volume of water and its low quality — coming from the camp’s wells. Those looking for water were using 1D resistivity sounding, which is “not the best option for the complex geology of the east African Rift Valley,” says Mr. Bauman. As a result, a lot of dry or low-yield holes were being drilled. Another problem: many successful wells had to be abandoned because of toxic levels of fluoride, which is common in the volcanic rock of the Rift Valley. With better technology, including 2D resistivity and seismic refraction, Mr. Bauman thought there was a good chance of locating high-volume water sources with less fluoride. Though more expensive and complicated, this technology provides better results, which can be more easily interpreted. How would he make that happen? Back home in Calgary, Mr. Bauman filed a grant request with Geoscientists Without Borders, a charitable arm of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. He proposed a two-week, intensive water exploration program for Kakuma. Funding for the project was quickly approved. Mr. Bauman’s
BY THE NUMBERS
200,000 people living at Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp, from more than 20 different nations
600,000 refugees in Kenya
120,000 Turkana locals living around the Kakuma Refugee Camp
60 hours travel time from Calgary to Kakuma f 3 flat tires, 5 hours, 125 kilometres — driving stats for the team, as it made its way from Lodwar, the capital of Turkana, to Kakuma, along one of Kenya’s most treacherous highways. 16 wooden crates, 1,400 kilograms — geophysics survey equipment
SURVIVAL (top) A Turkana man and a goat drink water from the same scoop hole, which is likely contaminated with E. coli. Though the Turkana know this water is unhealthy, many can’t afford to buy clean water. Locals must pay 10 Kenyan shillings — about US 10 cents — to fill a 20-litre jerry can from a hand pump or tap. Water is provided free to Kakuma refugees, though in limited quantities. ON TAP (above) Water taps only run during restricted hours during the day, creating long lineups. At night, pumps fill a small number of storage tanks to supply water for the next day. -photos courtesy Paul Bauman, P.Eng., P.Geoph.
55% of Kakuma children don’t go to school
20 litres of water, per person, per day, that UNHCR aims to provide Kakuma refugees for drinking, cooking, and hygiene
225 litres of water per day, the amount the average Canadian uses
68 | PEG FALL 2016
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker