a, you know, or this channel, we are not afraid to happen. delicate, because population is growing. and young people clearly have the solution. the future belongs to the 77 percent every weekend on d. w with this is dede of the news africa coming up on the program. could there finally be a solution to the drought problems in the horn of africa? a study finds that despite the parched expenses across eastern africa, there are enough reserves of water below ground to change the regions fortunes also coming up. we take

a look at the logistical hurdles. ahead of major is elections that are making some people worry whether they might even get to vote. i mean, you have it in the morning. and after like 4 hours, someone came out and said, my god was in the pages. and the killing of an activist in kenya prompts calls for justice over cases of violence with then and against the l. g. b t q, community. ah, i'm told me already, boy, it's good to have you with us. climate change continues to make. it's mark in africa disrupting weather patterns and in some cases, making them more extreme. the horn of africa is facing the threat of a 5th consecutive failed rainy season. and that's brought with it frequent devastating droughts, but a solution would be much closer than many realize. it turns out that beneath the

regions, dry planes, there's an increasing amount of ground water enough to make droughts. a thing of the past, it's the worst drought in 40 years here in somalia. makeshift camps like this one near the town of by dora has sprung up on mass as hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee bone dry conditions. many a herders whose lifeline is their animals. they totally depend on regular rainfalls . really of the we will come here above the list. i think is becoming very difficult for liberal to sustain the lives them in the room turned droughts in the horn of africa are becoming more frequent and more devastating with time. people in this already water, scarce region, can no longer rely on the long range between march and may and the short range

between october and december. whilst livestock to come and more than $37000000.00 people in the horn of africa facing acute hunger people might be sitting on top of their lifesaver, huge amounts of groundwater. scientists found that most countries in africa would actually have enough underground water supply for more than 50 years. plus, the study shows this water storage is even increasing despite the poor rainy seasons. this is because of the now more common heavy rain showers. they can most effectively refill the water stored in the ground to become ground water rainfall needs to be intense enough for the water to quickly infiltrate the soil. these short but heavy downpours fill up dry riverbeds. the water then seeps into underground deposits. these findings are extremely exciting,

says the agri economist, alaric sandra, who has had years of experience working in africa, come up. there's a great opportunity and a huge untapped potential. if you can access that, you can increase yields in a fairly short time by $100.00 to maybe even 400 per cent. so there's a very big potential to increase production in africa, recruitment or the off the world bank has allocated money to explore this. and the private sector is already drilling in some places. if tapped into on a large scale ground water could be a game changer for the continents most vulnerable regions. so we see that growing interest in exploring what's below the ground in the horn of africa with some groundwater drilling already underway. so what's the actual process? well, the deaf varies depending on the soil composition and water quality. but some of this ground water has been found around 2 to 5000 meters below ground. and on

average, it takes up to a few weeks of digging to reach these water deposits. let's see, can now to michael singer as a professor in physical geography, a card of university in the u. k. and he's one of the office of the study. thank you for joining us professor. now these findings seem extraordinary how big an impact can this have in, for example, the horn of africa. you know, it's hard to know, but we're excited about the prospect. this is a region that has faced consecutive drought seasons. so multiple seasons at this point their projected to have a 6 in a row failed rainy season. and this is an ongoing trend where the regions just getting dryer and dryer season by season. and so we expected that maybe that's having an impact on the hydrology and the water resources of the region. but we

were surprised in our analysis to find that actually there seems to be increasing water storage alongside of that declining rainfall trend, which was a bit puzzling how to, how did you actually discover the presence of these massive water reserves? yes, so we did an analysis where we looked at rainfall data 1st to try to see what the trends in rainfall are saying. and certainly those were largely showing a decline in rain fall over the over the entire season of rain fall. but we also found extreme rainfall seem to be increasing over time, which suggested that maybe there's something else going on that we need to study further. so then we looked into some satellite data. there are 2 satellites, roaming around the earth that are keeping track of the gravitational field. and we were able to use that satellite to interpret it. that there is a rising amount of water storage under ground. that seems to be significantly

related to the extreme rainfall trends that we found. right. so, so could it be that they've been misconceptions about the existing supply of groundwater? yes, i don't think generally speaking, groundwater is not a massively used resource within the region because it requires a large amount of investment, which just really hasn't happened across the. ready drive at the horn of africa compared to places like india where there's been a huge investment groundwater and in fact, over use. so they're, they're really kind of only localized groundwater wells that are being used for, for water supply primarily. so. so in this case then, are you saying that, oh, do you know how much or how easy it would be to access this? what does it need just basic polls or the massive investment in proper extraction?

i can't say for sure because the satellite did, it doesn't tell us that specific information. but what we do know is that after there are big rain fall events. if you go down to river channels, the water is only a couple of meters below ground. and there's a significant supply in this concept is not lost on rural communities who often travel to the river channels and dig wells temporarily just to access water, philip cherry cans and take it back to their villages. so presumably there is a shout, a relatively shallow source of ground water, especially around river channels. but ground water is, is very challenging problem. and there's a lot of spatial variability in the depth of the ground water. and on that note, if you were to dig for this ground water, would it be a straightforward process, replenishing the supplies?

well, it appears that they're getting replenished naturally through various processes. and that the main thing is when it rains really heavily, when you have these extreme rainfall events, the water can actually penetrate deep through the soil, below the zone where it might be lost back through of operation into the atmosphere . so you're basically banking that water. ready below ground and the other thing that happens is the water tends to run off of dry landscapes, down into river channels, where it seeps into the river bed. and again, it is banked below the zone into opperation. so i suspect what, what that process will continue to. ready occur as long as the rain fall, extremes continue to occur even if we start using the ground water resource. ok, we'll be looking forward to seeing what this can achieve. michael single professor in physical geography from college of university. many thanks for speaking to us.

thank you. oh, you're watching the dublin news africa still to come. why a group of people in one of africa model democracies taking to the streets to demand a change to the constitution. germany and france have sent their talk diplomats to the philippine capital this week with the aim of mending relations with the government in adis that was strained over the war in t gray, german foreign minister and atlanta back and have french counterpart that's are in colonized, say that trip emphasizes their support for the piece deal between ethiopia, government, and the tig, right people's liberation front or t p a left. the european union has criticized as far as handling of the conflict, particularly relating to reported human rights violations. but now there's a chance for a reset of if your peers relationships with the outside world. i'm not joined by

it's on your get i to journalist based in addis ababa. hi samuel, thanks for joining us on the program. now this meeting comes off the back of strained relations between europe and if your peer over the conflict into gray, can you tell us just how badly damaged these relations were? and can they be amended? was they to a brand government has been accusing much of the western nations, including european nations and the bite administration of tidy with a t p and left during the conflict that just ended back in november with the signing of a peace agreement in pretoria us with us and there will be, but the relationship in terms of its importance, it's paramount. the european nations are funders of the job creation that the government has been championing for a while. even in the creation of the industrial parks all over the country that has created thousands and thousands of jobs,

especially for young women. they have also supports in the field in terms of weight and support that has been needed when he job is facing issues like famine has really defined this nation to that. so the relationship between european nations and we really important and that's why. busy minister of germany and france were welcomed and have been meeting with your senior actors to try to bring the relationship back to where it was before this conflict began. and what specifically does address once when they open government wants support in terms. so for trying to bring back some of the damage to infrastructure that's been happening and to grow and apply. and there is the, the, the legacy of this conflict is really the minimum. so if the children have been impacted in terms of being displaced,

elise 600000 people have died. so the children inside would want to create or trying to emulate some of the system that has worked in european nations, including the peaceful coexistence of people that we see from a far trying to celebrate diversity, instead of using it to divide its population. so there is something that the opening in has, we've seen works best and the children government really wants to get back to this country. children economy again as has been damaged. there has to be for an investment that has to come to this country to try to create jobs that's needed, especially among young people in the jo. can nation seem to understand that and that's what the relationship is going to be moving forward. i think according to the field site catch you in about. thank you very much. as always for speaking to us. thank you. ah,

let's now continue our look at my jurors are coming presidential elections 4 years ago. the country experienced its lowest voter turnout in its history as a democracy with only a 3rd of those eligible showing up to the polls. this time the authorities have revamped registration procedures and the voting technology in the hope of boosting the turn out on election day. niger is electoral commission. he's also complaining of the threat of political violence. several of its office buildings have been attacked recently in an apparent attempt to disrupt the process of possibly scared voters away. for the nigerians determined to make their votes count as d, w m, i co acoya reports. they face another challenge of even having the guarantee that bill be officially allowed to vote. i probably we and i to registrations in the goes, when people come to collect the cards,

they need to vote. this is what it takes to be able to get your permanence voters card. what's nigerians? will they need? another trains of people fabric. so cast devils. some of his people have been with him for hours. believe in the us some point they'll be able to get the permanent focus. scott, i saw online on my profile on m, i n a group i online that my card was ready for pickup. okay. so i came here this morning with the sleep that i was given in 2021. to pick up. i've been here since 8 in the morning. and after like 4 hours, someone came out and said, my card was, is omitted on like what do you mean by wilmington, is that my card was not printed and you're telling me that my card is not printing just barely 66 or 8 weeks away from your ledger, so i can vote. so i, we have the eyes and we'll change the color. i would ask gags, awkward suggested the od i saw so annoying. will answer tend to keep my cool. and

like you said, they want and i wouldn't because i believe them, i want to count these permanent voter cards might be high take. but the as to sorted by hand one by one. it is a slow procedure, but the letter officer says they are doing their best. if everybody can, obviously, you can look i the crowd outside. we are various from every one to tell i well, i'm as as offend into them so little we'll come now. you want to war now dos with a bit. we take our paper, you know, we have thousands of the 5, you know, multiple as why you look at that by and the bad, big, big animal horse and fill of with hip us. so we need to saw them out. i rabbi, i read. there is no miss. if you don't have the prominent card with you, there is no way you found anything affiliated at all votes. that's the point,

no card, no vote. the risk of been disenfranchised is frost creek. in for many, with only a few weeks before election day, i noticed the pattern what he's doing a bring out 1010 cards and then they bring out 20 people are seeing that cardinal power. so they give you 5, they tell you to, and if i was not gonna let me go big, we're gonna get the archive now. so i insisted how to print on it up the bar. i'm pretty good it toward one. and then suddenly someone comes out, is there, these america, new albany, georgia go rosenberg? authorities to say despite this is the increased uptake is positive and good for the democratic process. i think it has it. i mean, you results with more people are interested in collecting juggling as well. don't we record it before as well? we are really, really horrid as if i got a warmer. michael nodded it a little does. does kat distribution has been so difficult. authorities have pushed

back the deadline for people to get them and they are handing them out at the local level to try to make the process my efficient. the pressure is on to get the cost to all those who want them in time for these crucial inactions to gone an hour, which is often seen as $1.00 of africa's most stable democracies. but campaigners, they're calling for an overhaul of the constitution, which they say is not fit for purpose. under the hash tag fixed the country, they want major amendments to address social inequality and democratic accountability. and as it all dw maxwell souk up north in timely, they want reforms that will reflect their hopes for the country home. out with the old, in, in, with a new rally around a hashtag fixed a country is canyon. c,

a countries 1992 constitution niss it is 6. they said you want one that does more to put power in the house of the people. we are the only democracy we're our parliament cannot propose ross. it cannot middle of all, it would bring them a product of a low for them to vote on. they are themselves the machines on the agenda of the circuits of it does not make sense open. it is, see the changes i needed to meet the demands from the younger generation and to fix it. countries, massive economic problems. gunners caused her. she was designed to provide political stability of the years, a military room with an attempt to modernize it, to introduce political accountability in fight corruption have toward michigan. yes . say what is needed now is not an amendment, but a new construction to get the country developed. the c defense system might me

kinda get done. for example, an affirmative action law which has been in the works for nick, is put in promotional representation. and government means that women, if i, my women say how it and all of the thing would trickle down it in with the toner into the i got, i got a little of was the right one. another have certainly created a movement of young people, demanding change, but critic suggest a new constitution might not be the right way forward. no constitution is absolutely perfect. on paper a constitution, we are peer attractive. but to way it comes to implementation, you face some challenges by the fact that we are facing some challenges is not a justification to say that you threw off the constitution. i'll rewrite another constitution. said put his array, he ain't done in the country,

is one of the ridges stable democracies put a high rate of voting. but recently, economic problems in political turmoil need many young people now feel gonna nice fixin human rights groups in kenya are raising the alarm on growing cases of sexual and gender based violence. especially in intimate relationships, a coalition of campaign as, as demanding urgent scrutiny of these cases and swifter police action, particularly after the brutal killing of an l. g. b, t, q activist. earlier this month, the body of the 25 year old ad when to lowball was found in a metal box on a roadside in an incident that has shocked the country and is prompting calls for justice. police have made several arrests as they investigate the killing from on this i am now joined by cannon journalist and l. g b t q rights activist. kevin,

was cheryl kevin? good, have you on the program or gay rights activists? one of arise in gender based an intimate partner violence within the algebra to q community, what do you think could have led to this trend? i think what we're seeing right now, tommy, is the fact that there has been no support from, from state faxes from the government that protect the members of the algebra q community. so, and we've already had this one politician. one actually said this a few hours ago, but algebra to q activists should be arrested, you know, those a video going round over the, over the weekend of, from one of the governors in kenya. you know, chris being critical of the community. so they have, i mean, the career community and the movement have, have warned,

against facts attacks have been such such, such hate speech, you know, or start such insidious statements because they could lead to the could lead to people being attacked. they couldn't need to, to more cases or people experiencing various forms of violence. we're just hoping that people are wise enough not to heat this coal. just wondering what it can do is a fairly tolerant society overall, but it's still very conservative in its its ways keeping us a picture of what that like in can for gave people. i mean, for starters, it is not a legal being homosexual in kenya. you know, there is no law against homosexual against homosexuality. what is a good and what we are insistent on telling people that is homosexual acts between men and i is an old colonial law which the community,

the movement and kind of tried doing away with a few years ago. but they lost that case. just pop, commonly known as repeal one seeks to so that law has never been enacted in can yeah. and people by and large, you know, get, get, get away with just being themselves. we're in my time with the movement. we've seen a number of organizations right across the country, the that advocate for health rights that act with kids for security. there's been a lot of law being taking place behind the scenes. so some people, i mean if you come about and you go on with your business, you know, you can, you can just, you can do an openly gay or l g b t q life in. can you the are spaces the festivals that got the rings that okay, you know, there's a lot of stuff happening online and in, in, in what we call circles or safety. you know, where people are able to exist in their fullness treading fairly,

fairly easily and relatively freely freely. we don't see probably crumbs of affection or anything, but once on the streets, you would really have to be careful, you know, kind of if, if, if i'm getting your right kind of bubble at would you say this is probably why some people find it difficult to report incidents of violence in gay relationships. you know the fact that if you end up, if you end up going to police police station saying that your boyfriend or your girlfriend. yeah. and if you're a gay person is assaulting you, you know, there is the shade, you know, 1st of all, there is below that, like i mention, you know, but i know people who are scared of going to us to the boring kids because of, of, of the the, the percent the fear of being discriminated against or being arrested. you know, for, for that you've been stating that you are in a good relationship. so people just have cut down and get on with it. canyon

me to rights activists. kevin, which hero? thank you for speaking to us. well that's it for now, but there is more on our website will leave you with these images from the bonaire national buddha holiday earlier this week, bye for now with, [000:00:00;00]

with the is tied up in traffic jams. it's an ongoing problem in the canyon capital. a small start up with big ideas wants to improve the situation, electric,

the buses to reduce their quiet and affordable. they can already be found on the streets of 9 o. b. but does the project have a future? ah, ah, in 30 minutes, d. w. to the point. strong opinions, clear positions, international perspectives. western countries are accelerating the support for you, craig, i'm a beaker, too heavy done. the time all pepin stubble seems to have boss onto the boise. thank you. great. is the west joining the all to the point with on d w? ah, how about taking a few? you could even take a chance,

a don't expect to happy ending literature list or german. ah, what secrets lie behind these walls? discover new adventures in 360 degrees. and explore fascinating world heritage sites with d. w. world heritage. 360. get out. now sometimes a seed is all you need to allow big ideas to grow. we're bringing environmental conservation to life with learning pass like global ideas. we will show you how climate change ended or mental conservation is taking shape around the world and how we can all make a difference. knowledge grows through sharing,

download it now for free. the only way i can be on top is to create my own empire, discover stories for all those that way. just to click away the journey, the destination, right. find out those documentaries with the full subscribe. now it's okay ma'am tree. ah, it says dw news and these are top stories. an explosion has damaged a key natural gas pipeline in northern lithuania, flames, up to 50 meters high, were seen shooting from the amber grid pipeline. its operator set its on no