Happy New Year!
Perhaps I can make this first 2012 post an optimistic one. I'll let you be the judge.
I last posted on this topic in September 2011: Earth to '1000 Wells for Darfur': SOS?. Before that, it was in February 2011: Has '1000 Wells for Darfur' Dried Up?
You can go here to find links to my early posts about the project, including some of the scientific aspects.
Intending to do an update, I went to the project's WWW site and Dr. Farouk El-Baz's blog, only to find both defunct. So I emailed El-Baz and received his prompt reply on 31 December 2011:
There is still fighting in Darfur, but hopefully that will end soon after the death of the rebel leader Ibrahim.
In the meantime there are several efforts continuing, including student volunteers who are collecting funds
for a well in the name of their institution. Boston Univ. students collected $7,300 of the $10,000 needed for one.
The effort will be initiated as soon as the Doha peace agreement is fully accepted.
Farouk El-Baz
There is no mention of any test drilling to verify the existence of the postulated groundwater reservoir suggested by satellite imagery. Ground truthing is needed before '1000 Wells for Darfur' can be realized.
I appreciate Dr. El-Baz's reply and encourage him to reactivate the project WWW site/blog to keep people apprised of the project's progress.
We'll see what happens. Let's hope for good things in 2012.
"The Darfur initiative will bring hope to the people of northwestern Sudan; it will allow the migration of the labour force to locations where economic development is suitable and environmentally sustainable. This initiative can be a starting point for ameliorating the human suffering in the region and raising the quality of life and capacity of its people." -- Dr. Farouk El-Baz, 25 June 2007
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