Addressing drought in Zimbabwe. Applying nuclear science to understand groundwater and river dynamics (Spanish Edition)

In the local Lozi language, they call it 'Mosi-oa-Tunya', or 'the Smoke that Thunders', but, by the end of 2019, Victoria Falls' thunder was more like a dripping trickle. Africa's largest waterfall has been a victim of the region's droughts, and Zimbabwe, which borders its banks, is also suffering. More frequent, intense and unpredictable droughts have robbed the country's residents and farmers of sufficient clean and fresh water, impacting food security and threatening the livelihoods of 45 per cent of the rural population. Urban areas have been affected too. Heavily reliant on hydropower as a source of electricity, Zimbabwe's energy grids have been crippled by prolonged droughts, leaving towns and cities with frequent power shortages and cuts. Finding solutions to Zimbabwe's chronic water problems includes looking to nuclear techniques for developing groundwater abstraction guidelines — a task which requires a good understanding of surface water– groundwater interaction and the country's water resources.