Drinking water for Garowe

Garowe is one of the larger cities in Puntland, Somalia. The water supply in this city is a major challenge. There is no surface water and there is limited availability of groundwater, both in terms of quantity and quality (generally brackish). Under assignment to Invest International, Witteveen+Bos is working together with NIRAS and Terre Solidali to improve the drinking water supply for this rapidly growing city.

Geohydrological studies are being conducted to identify the best sustainable groundwater sources. These studies will be followed by exploratory groundwater borings. After this, a feasibility study and design will be prepared for the water’s extraction, as well as transport to Garowe and distribution within the city. The targeted interventions will be checked for potential social and environmental impacts. The project fits in well with our CSR objectives, but it also brings us face to face with challenges resulting from security conditions in Somalia. Terre Solidali is a partner who has been active on the ground in Somalia for more than 15 years and, together with them and the local authorities, we aim to make this project a success.