Page 17 - CIWA AR25

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Horn of Africa a
UNTAPPING
UN T P P I N G
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RESILIENCE
RESILIENCE

Groundwater Management and Learning in
G r o u n d w a t e r M a n a g e m e n t a n d L ea r n i n g i n
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the Horn of Africa’s Borderlands
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The eastern Horn of Africa continues to experience rising During its fourth year of implementation, Untapping Resilience
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temperatures, variable rainfall, and cycles of intense floods has continued to strengthen data use through the GW4R
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and more frequent, severe droughts. The Horn endured extreme

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a n d m o re oods from 2019-2020, followed by a prolonged drought across the three countries. CIWA support has further enhanced
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rain and floods from 2019-2020, followed by a prolonged drought
the joint management of transboundary groundwater resources
rain and fl

AFRICA These events, exacerbated by climate change, impact agriculture, groundwater investments in the HoA. Knowledge products and
from 2020 to 2023, and then severe
fl ooding from 2023-2024.
from 2020 to 2023, and then severe flooding from 2023-2024.
by the countries and assessed the feasibility of new resilient
These events, exacerbated by climate change, impact agriculture,
fi sheries, worsening food insecurity and poverty.
livestock, and
livestock, and fisheries, worsening food insecurity and poverty.
tools developed through Untapping Resilience are improving

cant reductions in crop
The region is highly vulnerable, with significant reductions in crop
The region is highly vulnerable, with signifi
community engagement and the application of environmental
yields and increased water stress and insecurity.
yields and increased water stress and insecurity. Indirect impacts,
and social safeguards and ensuring climate resilience and

ict, and weakened services,
such as disease, resource overuse, conflict, and weakened services,
such as disease, resource overuse, confl
disproportionately affect women and vulnerable groups because
disproportionately affect women and vulnerable groups because
supply systems. Insights from the field and learning from GW4R

of poverty, workload, and reliance on natural resources.
of poverty, workload, and reliance on natural resources. sustainable operational and maintenance (O&M) of groundwater
implementation continue to be shared with water professionals
nationally and regionally to build institutional capacity. With CIWA’s
With surface water scarce from high evapotranspiration, support, GW4R has continued to positively shape groundwater
With surface water scarce from high evapotranspiration,
sustainable groundwater use is critical for economic development, management approaches throughout the HoA.
sustainable groundwater use is critical for economic development,
peace, and security.
peace, and security. The HoA’s borderlands, with weak institutions,
have a high risk of conflict from climatic pressures on natural
have a high risk of confl
ict from climatic pressures on natural

resources, which affects livelihoods and communities. PROGRESS
resources, which affects livelihoods and communities.
Sustainable use of groundwater supports climate resilience
Sustainable use of groundwater supports climate resilience Component 1: Enhanced Knowledge and
and water security, helping address conflict and migration Learning on Groundwater in the HoA
and water security, helping address confl
ict and migration

drivers. This component includes the development and use of the
drivers. It offers drought buffering and economic potential,
including supporting livelihoods, but remains poorly understood
including supporting livelihoods, but remains poorly understood GW4R remote monitoring platform and MIS, which is based on
in fragile areas. Groundwater is underused because of limited
in fragile areas. Groundwater is underused because of limited the World Bank’s Geo‑Enabling Initiative for Monitoring and
knowledge and data gaps, insufficient infrastructure, institutional
knowledge and data gaps, insuffi cient infrastructure, institutional Supervision (GEMS) platform. The MIS enhances monitoring

nancial and capacity constraints.
and governance challenges, and fi
and governance challenges, and financial and capacity constraints.
in FCV settings and develops research and learning materials
across the learning pillars: (i) Sustainable Groundwater Service
Given the complexity of the borderlands, the World Bank’s HoA Delivery, (ii) Groundwater’s Role in Addressing Fragility and
Given the complexity of the borderlands, the World Bank’s HoA
Groundwater for Resilience (GW4R) program requires tailored
Groundwater for Resilience (GW4R) program requires tailored Enhancing Resilience in the Borderlands, and (iii) Groundwater
monitoring, learning, and institutional strengthening to support
monitoring, learning, and institutional strengthening to support and Regional Integration.
regional cooperation on groundwater, which is the purpose of
regional cooperation on groundwater, which is the purpose of
CIWA’s Untapping Resilience: Groundwater Management and
CIWA’s Untapping Resilience: Groundwater Management and In FY25, CIWA support enabled the addition of key spatial layers
Learning in the Horn of Africa’s Borderlands initiative.
Learning in the Horn of Africa’s Borderlands initiative.
to the platform, including salinity, fluoride, drought, and water

productivity. The MIS has also been linked to Intergovernmental
In FY25, Untapping Resilience developed a new approach to use Authority on Development (IGAD) datasets on regional
In FY25, Untapping Resilience developed a new approach to use
data from the GW4R Management Information System (MIS) in hydrology. These additions have enhanced on-the-ground site
data from the GW4R Management Information System (MIS) in
GW4R Phase 1 countries (Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya). Emerging
GW4R Phase 1 countries (Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya). analyses for civil works and guidance for project implementation
eld- and site-level data were used to advance MIS
lessons from field- and site-level data were used to advance MIS units. Untapping Resilience has supported MIS training and
lessons from fi

analytics and bring the lessons back into the GW4R program. World refresher sessions for 130 project implementation unit staff,
analytics and bring the lessons back into the GW4R program. World
Bank experts and UN agencies (UNDP, UNESCO, and UNICEF) used about one-third of whom were women, and dashboard interface
Bank experts and UN agencies (UNDP, UNESCO, and UNICEF) used
this knowledge to strengthen implementation through the three improvements in response to user feedback.
this knowledge to strengthen implementation through the three
learning pillars of the Untapping Resilience initiative.
learning pillars of the Untapping Resilience initiative.
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