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Strengthening Capacity to Combat Drought and Famine in the Horn of Africa:
Tapping Groundwater Resources for Emergency Water Supply
Overview and Background
UNESCO, on behalf of Kenya’s Ministry of Water and Irrigation, is currently conducting an advanced survey of hydrogeological resources of northern and central Turkana County. The survey set off in June 2012 and is set to be finalized by the end of March 2013 when all the deliverables will be officially handed over to the Government of Kenya. A contribution to the Kenya Vision 2030 pilot initiatives, the study is assessing the natural groundwater endowment of the Northwest Kenya with the aim of establishing a new scientific basis for which to address water scarcity in the semi-arid region.
The survey aims to contribute to efforts geared towards combating climate change in Kenya’s ASAL areas by identifying emergency and sustainable water supplies and delivering measures to mitigate against long‐term drought and famine. This identification will enable the government, NGOs and communities to pursue groundwater development within a regime of aquifer knowledge and sighting precision, enormously reducing on financial loses that have characterized past borehole drilling activities in the area. In the face of dwindling and scarce surface water resources for man and livestock in this pastoralist system, the water resources identified through this activity will in the long term contribute to boosting the resilience
Local Women abstracting water from a new hand pump
and adaptive capacity of these communities while providing a sustainable basis for groundwater development during emergencies.
The study has mapped groundwater, geology, soils as well as water recharge for an area of 36,000 km2, including strategic and important development zones such as Lodwar, the Kakuma Refugee Camp, Lokichogio, Lokitaung, Lake Turkana, and other uncharted areas of the region.
Progress to date
The study has so far generated preliminary new precise maps of both shallow water (0‐80m) and deep aquifers (down to 1,500m) in order to identify zones with good potential to support a variety of development imperatives. Radar Technologies International (RTI), UNESCO’s global partner in groundwater exploration, is implementing the survey with the WATEX System™, a powerful technology that combines remote sensing technologies and conventional methods to achieve a precise groundwater vision. Additional products at this preliminary stage include a driller’s handbook, GIS database and GENS systems, which have been delivered.
In the month of December 2012, UNESCO organized a 3‐day training course where a special seven‐member team was constituted. This team comprises technical groundwater staff from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA), District Water Offices and local NGOs. The group was trained on how to utilize the GENS ‐‐ a device specifically designed to enable precise air and on‐ground navigation for borehole site selection. This team is now able to proceed to work with relevant institutions and organizations in finding water for emergency supply and long‐term development within the survey area.
UNESCO team explaining the advanced hydrogeological maps at the Turkana County Commissioner’s office
To complement efforts that increase community resilience to droughts, it was strategic to support national and regional platforms to enhance their capacity in climate prediction and drought forecasting and monitoring. Seasonal climate forecasting is an important issue in the Greater Horn of Africa Region, where severe droughts have
become more pronounced. The IPCC has forecasted severe and frequent drought in coming years in this region, which experienced its worst drought and famine in the years 2010‐2011, and where prediction tools could have provided
information relevant to avoiding and mitigating
against its impacts. UNESCO has worked with the IGAD‐Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (CPAC) to install the new Africa Drought Monitor (ADM) for GHA in collaboration with Princeton University, USA. UNESCO has supported the improvement of the technical capacity of ICPAC to enable local manipulation, management and customization by supporting an officer to undergo further advanced training on the tool at Princeton University. The ADM generates models that help improve capacity in prediction, a key priority of meteorological policy in the region.
The GRIDMAP Coordinator lending a hand to the locals in abstracting water
Local women abstracting water from an old well
In addition to above activities, the capacity building component of the project is supporting varied studies, assessments and capacity building technical workshops and seminars in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. These encompass undertaking assessments to understand the vulnerability of groundwater aquifers to the impacts of climate change; management of aquifer recharge and artificial recharge techniques; review of
capacities for drought mitigation and planning; development of policy elements for groundwater use in emergency situations; development of draft plans for groundwater monitoring and early warning; and development of actionable strategies for drought management, with specific consideration of vulnerabilities, opportunities and potentials for adaptation, with particular reference to strengthening the role of women and local communities.
UNESCO also had an opportunity to present the survey’s preliminary results and related tools to senior officials of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation and also to local stakeholders in the Turkana Region. At the national level, a technical scientific committee has been established under the
UNESCO staff showing the ‘GENs Team’ where the water is on the WATEX image in the GENS - ©UNESCO
Analysing a unique rock for structural inference of the underlain formation, geological study, Turkana- ©UNESCO
The UNESCO team at a monumental site during the geological field studies, Turkana ‐ ©UNESCO
Chemical acid testing of old volcanic rock formation -©UNESCO
leadership of the Director of Water Resources, to review, endorse and develop recommendations on the outcomes of the overall Turkana survey.
In the first three months of 2013, the project will commence the publication and dissemination of the various outputs, in addition to finalizing the detailed assessment and analysis of the Turkana Survey
and delivering the results to the Government of Kenya in a planned winding up seminar.
Discussing an identified high potential groundwater site at St. Patrick’s Centre, Lokitaung, Turkana- ©UNESCO
Navigating high potential groundwater sites using the Groundwater Exploration Navigation System (GENs) - ©UNESCO