Biyoole Water Harvesting Project – Somalia
Harvesting rainwater for the dry season—with smart technology and traditional methods
- Location: Puntland, Galmadug and South-West State, Somalia
- Date: 2020 – 2022
- Client: Ministry of Energy, Minerals and Water
- Project Type: Water supply engineering
Delivering climate-proof water supply systems for agropastoral communities
State governments in Somalia needed to improve access to water for rural communities and their crops and livestock who faced increasing water insecurity due to the changing climate. The Ministry of Energy, Minerals and Water commissioned Hydro Nova to site, design and supervise the build of 41 rainwater harvesting structures that would extend water security for people, crops and their animals through the dry season.
This project will increase water supply by nearly 1 million cubic meters, enough to sustain the needs of over 80,000 rural Somalis and 180,000 head of livestock during the driest months of the year.
Services Provided
Infrastructure siting
Our pre-feasibility services included community surveys to understand local water management dynamics and regional analysis of geology and hydrology to determine the most suitable structures and target the best sites on which to harvest, store and deliver water through the drier periods.
Climate proofing and design
At selected sites in Puntland (northern Somalia), Galmudug (central Somalia) and South-West (southern Somalia), we conducted detailed geotechnical, geological and drone surveys and prepared detailed designs and tender documents for a range of traditional water harvesting hydraulic structures that includes sub-surface dams, sand dams, burkads, haffir dams and shallow boreholes. The structures have been climate-proofed to deliver multiple benefits such as improved health, more productive livelihoods and restored landscapes, even during prolonged periods without rain.
Construction supervision
We managed and supervised the construction of 41 rainwater harvesting hydraulic structures, including hydrological monitoring during and following construction. In total, this project is constructing eight sub-surface dams, nine sand dams, 17 improved burkads, six haffir dams and one rehabilitated borehole in the three areas of Somalia.
Technical support
Hydro Nova provided mentoring support to the Puntland Water Development Agency throughout the project, applying lessons and methods learned from the World Bank-led WALP – Water for Agro-Pastoral Livelihood Project 2016-2018
