Page 50 - CIWA-AR24

Horn of Africa

sustainable, and it has been applied to specialists to promote an understanding management and development of this
decisions on site selection in Ethiopia. of the socioeconomic and livelihood project by Kenya and Somalia and
There is a need to expand this work to contexts supporting the development of kickstarting the dialogue for the countries
assess capacities of local and national appropriate and sustainable interventions to engage through a Memorandum of
governments to deal with the salinity led by communities. Understanding (MoU) developed and
problem at scale and make facilitated by IGAD. The MoU outlines the
recommendations on establishing the Water point gender/gender-based areas of collaboration for development,
proper institutional and financial violence (GBV) checklist (May 2023): coordination of the pilot, and other
arrangements to develop this capacity, This comprises a comprehensive potential investment sites in the Merti
which will require skills, technology, and checklist to comply with before Aquifer; establishes joint management
affordability. construction begins at selected project committees as part of the institutional
sites to ensure a robust integration of structure for the pilot delivery; and defines
ii. Groundwater’s Role in Addressing gender inclusion aspects throughout the key roles of the parties. Other sites
Fragility and Enhancing Resilience in implementation. For instance, checking that can benefit from transboundary
the Borderlands
whether women have confirmed that the collaboration are being identified, and the
Conflict, Scarcity, and Hybrid location of the water point development GW4R-MIS will also track transboundary
Governance (September 2023): The Rift is convenient and doesn’t pose safety dynamics on all sites, given that these sites
Valley Institute conducted field risks to them and girls (e.g., are in a are mainly located at the borderlands of
research in three study sites in the distant, dark, or insecure area) or whether the HoA countries where herders and
borderlands of Kenya (Turkana County), water collecting and queuing facilities are communities cross the border every day.
Somalia (Hiran Region, Hirshabelle sufficiently separated from those of Tracking these dynamics will inform
State), and Ethiopia (Borena Zone, herders to minimize harassment that conflict mitigation strategies at site level.
Oromia Region) using qualitative women and girls experience when they The feasibility studies for groundwater
methods and expert consultations. are collecting water. It also includes development and management in the
Recommendations from the final report in ensuring that there is zero tolerance for Dawa, Northern Basement, and Shebelle
February 2024 include considering GBV through continual independent transboundary aquifers are expected to
conflict dynamics, ownership, and monitoring of compliance with follow similar processes.
resource control more carefully in project GBV-related obligations throughout
design, developing more flexible contract implementation. Vision and roadmap for an effective
governance involving both formal and regional collaborative framework for
informal institutions in water iii. Groundwater and Regional groundwater management in the Horn
management, consulting and engaging Integration of Africa (April 2024): This report
more widely when developing water Transboundary groundwater investment developed a vision for an effective
projects, and making water-sharing pilots (ongoing): The Merti Aquifer regional framework for groundwater
agreements clearer and more equitable. (transboundary aquifer between Kenya collaboration in the Horn of Africa. It
and Somalia) feasibility study, previously includes insights and recommendations
The findings and recommendations of financed by CIWA, identified locations on based on progress of regional activities
the study were discussed with project both sides of the border for potential under the program. It also presents a
teams at various learning events. The development of rural water schemes roadmap for a collaborative framework,
team is developing guidelines to promote tapping the Merti aquifer, called the identifies key milestones for IGAD and
a more robust and inclusive process of Dhobley-Liboi transboundary water member states, and highlights lessons
community engagement in siting, design, investment pilot. The GW4R program learned and the main challenges to
and management and to assess potential used this as the launchpad for the transboundary collaboration, suggesting a
impacts on conflict, livelihoods, rangeland, identification of other potential way forward to create a suitable enabling
and settlements that integrate the transboundary sites along the environment for transboundary
different concerns and needs of women borderlands of the three participating cooperation. This roadmap is helping
and other vulnerable groups. This work is countries. The Dhobley-Liboi sub-project guide the dialogue with regional
using the data collected from early stages consists of two productive boreholes in stakeholders toward achieving project
of project implementation in site Kenya, two productive boreholes in objectives related to regional integration
selection, eligibility, and preparation Somalia, and one shared monitoring well around groundwater management.
documents stored at the GW4R-MIS. The to track abstractions and manage use.
guideline will inform implementation The team has further investigated the Joint Regional Study (ongoing): The
support activities so that social, socioeconomic, gender equality, and technical assistance has supported
environmental, and gender specialists technical conditions on the ground, dialogue and consensus building with
work closely with engineers and water suggesting a way forward for the IGAD and member states to conduct a

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