A grant of US $24.45M was approved by the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional financing arm of the African Development Bank Group to strengthen access to safe water and sanitation services in Somalia.
The funding will support the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project, which is designed to improve living conditions for more than 500,000 residents in the towns of Dollow, Qardho and South Galkayo. These urban centres have expanded rapidly due to the arrival of internally displaced people and are increasingly exposed to climate-related stresses, leaving many households without reliable water or adequate sanitation.
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Slated work
Under the project, water supply networks in the three towns will be expanded and upgraded through the installation of about 40 kilometres of pipelines and the drilling or rehabilitation of 42 boreholes. The programme also includes the construction of four water treatment facilities and three laboratories to strengthen water quality testing. To ensure continuity of services, 26 generators supported by solar systems will be deployed across the project areas.
Sanitation improvements form a key part of the initiative. Around 915 shared household latrines will be built, alongside the introduction of mobile desludging equipment to address waste management challenges. In addition, a community hygiene campaign, including education on menstrual health, will reach roughly 30 percent of local residents.
The project places strong emphasis on institutional and human capacity development. Approximately 100 staff from federal member states will receive training in digital water quality and groundwater monitoring, infrastructure operations and maintenance, budgeting, coordination and regulation. Young people from marginalised groups will also be equipped with practical skills in areas such as pipeline installation, borehole drilling, reservoir rehabilitation and water treatment plant construction.
Once implemented, the project is expected to lower the incidence of water-related diseases, reduce the time women and children spend fetching water, and improve school attendance, particularly for girls. Strengthened technical capacity within public institutions and improved management by water utilities are intended to ensure the long-term sustainability of the investments.
Bubacarr Sankareh, the African Development Bank’s Lead Advisor for Somalia Operations, said the grant reinforces the Bank’s commitment to Somalia by expanding resilient urban water systems that improve health, hygiene and local capacity.
