1. Introduction:
Somalia is a country located in Africa that is facing a water crisis. Safe and drinkable water is one of the most difficult commodities in Somalia. People have to walk long distances to find water and even then, water they find may be heavily contaminated.
According to UNICEF, only 45% of Somalis have access to water sources but this is further worsened by the third consecutive year of poor rain forecast as highlighted by Graham (2018).
This report will focus on comparing solutions to supply water in Somalia and recommend the best method of water provision by comparing the cost and environment. The solutions include constructing sand dams and water treatment systems.
2. Background:
Somalia’s GDP was 6.22 billion USD for 2016 (Trading Economics, 2016). It has a poverty rate of 73% (UNDP, 2016) and is one of the least developed countries in Sub Saharan Africa (Pape, 2016).
Figure 1: Locator Map of Somalia
Source: Word Atlas, 2018.
Figure 1 shows that Somalia lies on the east of Africa which covers 627,337 square kilometers of land and 10,320 square kilometers of water (World Atlas, 2018). It has the longest coastline on Africa’s mainland. Its terrain consists of flat savannas, highlands and semi-deserts.
Figure 2: Climate Graph of Berbera, Somalia.
Source: ClimaTemps, no date
Climatically, dry and hot conditions prevail year-round, with irregular rainfall (Janzen, J.et al., 2018). According to Figure 2, the temperature of Somalia ranges from 25 to 40 degree Celsius. Therefore, Somalia is prone to scarce precipitation where rainfall is about 2 inches per year (Climates to Travel, no date) and dry seasons.
Somalia is currently in a drought and has gone without rain for 3 years consecutively from 2016. Water sources such as boreholes and water wells have dried up, exacerbating the water shortage. (Action Against Hunger, 2018). In a country where 7 in 10 people depend of animals or crops for their livelihood, livestock have died in unprecedented numbers and crops have perished. Half the population of Somalia is undernourished and susceptible to waterborne diseases (Mordaunt, 2018). Somalia has declared a state of emergency as over 6 million people (more than half the population) are food and water insecure and famine will soon strike across the country (Mckenzie, 2018).
3. Options:
1. Construction of sand dam
Figure 4: Sand Dam in Kenya
Source: The Water Project (n.d.)
Referring to Figure 4, a sand dam is a reinforced rubble cement wall built across a seasonal sandy river that conserve rainwater and recharges groundwater. They are easy to build, low-cost, and requires low maintenance technology. Sand dams are the most cost-effective method of water conservation in dryland environments (The Water Project, no date). They store up to 40 million litres of water and provide a year-round supply for up to 1,200 people. Operation and maintenance costs are low and even close to zero. Sand dams store water under sand, protecting it from contamination, evaporation and parasites (Excellent Development, no date). Sand dams can provide a rural community with water yearlong and even allow shallow wells to be built, increasing water provision in the area- even during periods of drought.
2. Water reclamation
Water reclamation is a process whereby waste water is treated and reused again. Water recycling enables a region to be self-dependent and have control of their own water supply. In addition, energy can be saved if extraction, treatment and transportation of ground water requires a lot of energy. EPA (no date) highlights that water recycling can decrease the usage of water from sensitive ecosystems, wastewater discharge and pollution. Furthermore, treated wastewater are just as good or even better than tap water in any developed cities (Braga, 2015). However, this process is unpopular to the public as people are skeptical of the cleanliness of sewage water. Educational campaigns have to be organized to allay the fears of public and raise awareness, adding on to the cost of water reclamation.
Comparison of Options
Cost
A sand dam that lasts for 50 year costs USD 7500 to build and materials can be locally sourced (The Water Project, no date). In contrast, construction of a water treatment plant costs above 1 billion USD which may put a strain on the government’s budget. The high cost is due to specific equipment needed, manpower required and the shipping fee from overseas (Samco, 2017).
Between the two, constructing and maintaining the sand dam would be the most cost-efficient solution as it does not require as much electricity. This is because Somalia depends on imported petroleum for the production of its electric energy by private firms and the cost of electricity in Somali is amongst the most expensive in the world (Mohamed, 2016). For example, per metre cube of water produced, reclaiming water uses up 1.046 kWh whereas a sand dam requires very little energy if not none (The Water Project, no date). However, if Somalia invests in the usage of renewable energy, operational costs can prove to be cost effective.
Environment
Water reclamation would be a more environmentally-friendly option compared to the construction of sand dam. International Rivers (no date) asserts that sand dams may block fish migration, disrupting food chains. Moreover, sand dams may trap sediments which may be consequential for maintaining physical processes and downstream habitats. Comparatively, water reclamation may help protect the environment. EPA (no date) contends that water recycling can reduce the diversion of water from sensitive ecosystem, reduce wastewater discharge and prevent pollution. The habitats of marine organisms especially the endangered creatures can then be protected. Less pollutants are discharged into the environment and usage of reclaimed water may even prove to be beneficial if used in agricultural irrigation as it provides an additional source of nutrients.
Conclusion and recommendation
For drought-ridden Somalia, water reclamation using renewable energy sources such as solar energy may provide a sustainable way to produce water. It may become more cost effective due to increasing petrol costs and declining costs of renewable energy. Even if the cost of sand dam is comparatively cheaper, constructing a sand dam in Somalia may prove futile due to the ongoing drought. Furthermore, Somalia is dependent on their beaches and natural landscape for tourism and hence, conserving the environment is of utmost concern for the government. Hence, water reclamation shows that it would be the best solution to preserve the physical landscape of Somalia and distribute water to its people.
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