Page 49 - CIWA-AR24

Horn of Africa

collection and analyses, enhancing HoA GW4R Aquifers
supervision, and ensuring knowledge is
turned into implementation by analyzing
project data and managing risks. Data
usage and analysis are not only tracking
progress and enhancing implementation,
but also contributing to the Untapping
Resilience learning agenda. Most recently,
hydrogeologists have used this data to
conduct site-level hydrology and salinity
assessments, which will greatly enhance
investment preparation and impact.
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In addition, UNESCO, contracted
through the CIWA grant, is supporting
IGAD to upgrade the project-funded
regional Groundwater Information
System by enabling linkages to
publicly available resources, such as
United Nations databases. The
operation will begin linking the
GW4R-MIS and the IGAD Regional
Groundwater Information System in
coming months.

Knowledge Products
i. Sustainable Groundwater
Service Delivery
Knowledge into Implementation:
Sustainable Groundwater Service
Delivery (September 2023): The United
Nations Development Program (UNDP)
Africa Borderlands Center, contracted 06/28/2024
under the CIWA grant, undertook
primary and secondary data collection,
analyses, and mapping on groundwater. IGAD
This assessment helped prioritize suitable IGAD previous project
sites to be financed under the project and
understand the reasons behind rural Kenya
water supply system failures that are Somalia
informing sub-project eligibility and Ethiopia
preparation. A policy note is being
published with the results. Figure 6: Geographical areas subject to hydrogeological assessment or mapping exercises (IGAD)

Dealing with Groundwater Salinity in the The guideline is meant to be used along environments applying hydrogeology
Horn of Africa, Guideline (March 2024): with conventional borehole-siting knowledge) before implementing
Salinity often positively correlates with processes that involve geological desalination technology; and iii) ensure
other water-quality concerns mapping, geophysical surveys, water appropriate management arrangements,
(e.g., fluoride, sodium, sulphate, chloride). point inventories, and drilling site capital, and operating expenditures are in
The initiative produced guidelines and selection. The guideline has three place for the implementation of
training to optimize decisions in managing considerations: i) validate water-quality desalination technologies to ensure their
the challenges of high groundwater salinity data before taking an investment sustainability. Currently the guideline is
in water supply projects, which is a decision; ii) exhaust safe sourcing options primarily being used for site selection and
common problem in the Horn of Africa. (find freshwater zones in high-salinity ensuring the investments will be

32 See the FY23 CIWA Annual Report, page 30, for a full description. https://www.ciwaprogram.org/rcv1/ciwa-annual-report-2023/
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