International Collaboration on Groundwater Research in Benin, West Africa: Lessons from an IYPE Groundwater Project

Collaborative groundwater research under the badge of IYPE has been pursued by the Universite d’Abomey-Calavi (Benin, West Africa) and the University of Notre Dame (USA) and is focused on the coastal aquifer system of Benin. Recent efforts have involved integration of numerical and field methods so as to characterize the hydrologic conditions along a coastal region consisting of a complex interplay among freshwater lagoons, saltwater lagoons, undeveloped land, and small villages. Collaboration between the two universities has involved joint field and numerical efforts, short-courses taught in Benin to mixed groups of Benin and US students, and joint research efforts by students from both countries. These collaborations have resulted in a relatively innovative mixture of field and numerical methods, including finite difference modeling at multiple scales, geophysical (resistivity) measurements, hydraulic characterization (in the lagoons and a large, salt-water lake), chemical characterization of surface and groundwaters, and geostatistical analysis of these diverse data sets. The majority of these research tools can be (and have been) applied to other groundwater research efforts in Benin. Lessons learned from this collaboration have included both opportunities for innovative research on groundwater systems based on international collaborations and challenges in developing these collaborations to their maximum potential. This history of collaboration, including the benefits and challenges, suggests a number of insights into future efforts in Benin and elsewhere, particularly for those future collaborations focused on building research capacity within the partner countries.