Kenya is set to receive a loan of US $124M from the World Bank for groundwater development. The Country’s Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, Alice Wahome made the announcement and said the funds will be used to finance work under the Regional Groundwater for Resilience Programme for the Horn of Africa.
The initiative aims to improve access to groundwater and promote sustainable management of this resource in the face of multiple pressures, including drought. Groundwater plays an important role in hydrosystems by supplying water to surface ecosystems, ensuring their stability and the diversity of aquatic habitats. It is also an essential resource for human consumption.
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Regional Groundwater for Resilience Programme
The regional programme which will be implemented over a six-year period, will also allow the rehabilitation of more than 400 boreholes and the construction of new ones. Upon completion, it will improve monitoring systems and build the capacity of Kenyan experts in groundwater management.
Among the regions set to benefit from the program include; Garissa, Mandera, Marsabit, Turkana and Wajir counties which belong to arid and semi-arid lands (Asal) category.The regional groundwater programme will also be implemented in Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea, where groundwater reserves will also be tapped to build climate resilience. In addition, the use of technology in groundwater management will be promoted so that water from aquifers can be managed more effectively and efficiently.