The groundwater resources are rather difficult to prospect and extract. In general, groundwater used for irrigation causes problems because of excessive salinity, even in the alluvial layers. Only in the north-western part of the country is the ionic content of the water below the acceptable limit for irrigation purposes. High boron contents occur most frequently. The water present in the alluvial layers, close to the surface, can be used for small-scale irrigation.
Agricultural water comes from shallow wells, tubewells or springs.
Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe. Coop ration hydrog ologique allemande. Direction nationale de la statistique, Minist re du commerce, des transports et du tourisme. Annuaire statistique de Djibouti. R sultats de 1990.