Understanding anthropogenic and geogenic
controls on major elements of water quality in
arid and semi-arid areas in Africa: A review
Accepted 31st
March, 2021
Saadu Umar Wali1, Sheikh
Danjuma Abubakar2, Ibrahim Mustapha Dankani2, Murtala
Abubakar Gada2 and Kabiru Jega Umar3
1Department of Geography, Federal University Birnin kebbi, P.M.B.
1057, Kebbi State, Nigeria 2Department of Geography, UsmanuDanfodiyo University Sokoto, P.M.B.
2346, Sokoto State, Nigeria 3Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Federal University
Birninkebbi, P.M.B 1157, Kebbi State, Nigeria.
The global dry-lands constitute a unique ecological system which
is primarily characterized by low rainfall, high rate of evaporation and scanty
vegetation cover. These in conjunction with environmental and land-use changes,
exert heavy pressure on water resources. The objective of this review is to
assess the influence of natural geogenic and anthropogenic activities on the
hydrochemical composition of streams and aquifers in drier parts of Africa.
Water quality studies were scrutinized, in order to identify the natural
geogenic and anthropogenic origin of ions in water. Results indicated that the
hydrochemical composition of streams and aquifers is controlled by natural
geogenic processesas well as anthropogenic activities. Also, the current
environmental change has further worsened the water quality situation through
declines in annual rainfall with its resultant consequences on the
over-abstraction of groundwater aquifers, which has led to saltwater intrusion
in coastal aquifers. Thus, it is difficult to separate natural geogenic and
anthropogenic controls on water quality. This is because ions that are derived
naturally from rock minerals are increasingly being added into the environment
through human activities. Hence, the rationality for establishing the origin of
ions in streams and aquifers proved to be very difficult. Consequently, water
quality results must be interpreted within the framework of the existing
environmental conditions, land use types and regularly essential standard
application for reporting water quality in the literature.
Key words:
Anthropogenic inputs, geogenic processes, groundwater depletionsurface water
quality; municipal and industrial sewage, agrochemicals.
This is an open access article
published under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.
Cite this article as:
Wali SU, Abubakar SD, Dankani IM, Gada MA, Umar KJ (2021). Understanding
anthropogenic and geogenic controls on major elements of water quality in arid
and semi-arid areas in Africa: A review. Acad. J. Environ. Sci.
9(8): 041-055.
