Hwange Main Camp and Makona, a diverging wilderness abundant with life, face a constant battle – securing a reliable water source. With no flowing waters Park Authorities resort to necessitating a seemingly simple solution: drilling boreholes. However, to reach beneath the surface of Hwange is no easy feat, and the path to a successful borehole is paved with both triumphs and setbacks.
Organizations like Kavango-Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area
(KAZA), International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) as well as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recognising the critical role of water security in Hwange. Their financial contributions provide a vital lifeline, propelling drilling projects forward.
Even with funding secured, the physical task of drilling presents its own set of challenges. The relentless terrain of Hwange demands specialized equipment. Heavy-duty drilling rigs, capable of penetrating the earth’s crust, navigate through dense landscapes. These machines require a constant supply of fuel and spare parts, adding logistical hurdles to the process. Furthermore, the unpredictable nature of underground geology can turn a seemingly routine project into a frustrating exercise. Drilling teams can encounter impenetrable rock formations or encounter water tables that yield minimal, unusable water. These unsuccessful attempts not only translate to wasted resources but also highlight the element of chance inherent in the drilling process, collapse of drilled walls. For example, an unsuccessful borehole drilling funded by IFAW occurred at Manga 2 and Livingi.
Kalahari sands are loose and cave in easily. Pressure rigs rely on pumping drilling fluid (mud) into the borehole to stabilize the hole and remove cuttings (drilled material). In loose sands, the mud can flow into the formation instead of circulating properly, causing problems maintaining pressure and stabilizing the hole. That is why a rotary rig is better than a pressure one when it comes to doing the job. The knowledge that these boreholes will
provide a consistent water source for years to come rekindles hope for the continued health and prosperity of Hwange’s ecosystem.
There are no easy wins in the history of boring holes in Hwange National Park. It is a story about resolving challenges in order to protect wildlife. Every successfully completed borehole is evidence of the collaborative efforts. Even though there are many challenges ahead, with persistent hard work, Hwange’s water security seems to have a somewhat better future with each drilled meter.