As populations grow, water scarcity and water pollution are likely to intensify, particularly if unsustainable consumption and production patterns continue unabated.

That’s the message United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered to a two-day High-level International Conference on Water Cooperation taking place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan this week.

One of the driest regions in the world is the Sahel of Africa which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea and is between the Savannah to the south and the Sahara desert to the north.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is working together with the Sahel countries to map the available groundwater in the region, using a technique known as “Isotope Hydrology”.

Steve Thachet discusses the project with Eric Cole, the programme management officer for the IAEA’s Sahel project in Vienna, Austria.

Duration: 4’12”