Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Somalia is amongst the 13 African countries that will face water scarcity by 2025. Somalia has less than 500 m3/cap/year and this could be attributed to erratic spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall with average annual amounts falling below 600mm; high evaporation, and negative human activities such excessive and uncontrolled charcoal production, overgrazing and other inappropriate land use measures. Water resources in Somalia are dominated by surface water mainly available on the two perennial rivers known as Juba and Shabelle rivers, over 90 percent of the flow originates in the Ethiopian highlands and Ethiopia controls nearly half the flow of Somalia’s two major rivers. Other water sources are shallow wells, springs, surface dams and boreholes. Water ownership traditionally rests with clan territorial claims; water management is localized and fragmented. Water usage is almost entirely for livestock and agricultural irrigation. Drinking water is scarce and often contaminate with only 45% of the population having access to improved water sources and 29% have access to sanitation. Therefore, frequently poor hygiene and sanitation practices combined with the use of unsafe water causes water borne disease, such as diarrhoea which is the major contributor of nearly one in five deaths (23 per cent) of children under five.
RAAS Interventions on WASH
- Community Based Resilient WASH Program
- School, Health and Nutrition Centers WASH Program
- Emergency WASH Program Through Water Trucking, Water Banking and Water Voucher
- Promotion of Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting and Storage in Public Buildings
- Promotion of Renewable Energy on Water Withdrawal/Extraction
- Promotion of Public Private Partnership on WASH and Waste Management
- Policy Advocacy, Awareness and Networking on WASH
- Institutional and Community Capacity Building on WASH
- Research, Training, WASH Technology/Business Development and Incubation