Southern Africa: A huge underground water resource the size of Austria, the Stampriet Transboundary Aquifer System, stretches for 87,000km² across Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. It supplies 50,000 people in several towns with water pure enough to drink, and is their only source of water.
But the Namibian government has awarded uranium prospecting licences to several mining companies across the aquifer system. Other mining companies already have the right to prospect for rare earth metals in the aquifer. Surina Esterhuyse and Anton Lukas are groundwater scientists and mining specialists. They say if mining goes ahead, the groundwater may become contaminated by metals that can cause cancer, kidney damage, bone fragility, cardiovascular issues and respiratory problems.
