The project area in the Hawd region lies on the border with Ethiopia. Geographically, it is therefore predominantly arid and semi-arid, which can also be described as a savannah landscape with limited water availability. There are no rivers that carry water all year round, and waterholes dry up quickly. The conditions that people have been familiar with for generations have been drastically exacerbated by global warming and the climate crisis. Rainy seasons are becoming increasingly lighter and shorter. Droughts are on the rise. The water table is falling and wells are at risk of becoming saline. During extreme droughts, people have to travel up to 50 kilometres to fetch water.
The water supply is at risk
Traditionally, people in Somaliland collect rainwater in underground reservoirs known as birkas. However, the existing capacity is no longer sufficient. Furthermore, most of the reservoirs are dilapidated.
"One of our biggest problems was the condition of the old, open Birkas. They weren’t adequately protected, and the water wasn’t clean. That led to illness."
New and improved rainwater storage tanks for seven villages
Arche Nova and its local partner organisation, OWDA, are building new birkas and refurbishing dilapidated storage tanks. The current project aims to secure the water supply in seven villages.
Each storage tank holds 800 cubic metres of water. This requires heavy machinery to be transported to these remote locations. Once the excavation work is complete, local bricklayers and carpenters take over the construction of the underground tanks, which are also fitted with a sturdy roof. This improved construction method protects the water from contamination and evaporation: the birkas are fitted with a sump and a hand pump to ensure hygienic water extraction. In Widh-Widh, a large reservoir has already been completed.
Working together to secure water supplies and maintain reservoirs
The work does not end with the construction of the birkas. arche nova and OWDA are setting up and training water committees to help manage and maintain the reservoirs. Several months ago, 35 members from the seven villages were trained in facility management, operation and maintenance, water quality, hygiene and equitable access. Cooperation with local authorities and the wider community is also crucial.
In some communities, people had already had experience of short-term humanitarian projects. Consequently, some expected international organisations simply to provide the infrastructure.
Arche Nova takes a different approach: our partner organisation, OWDA, has spent a great deal of time visiting and consulting with the communities. Together, they began a participatory planning process in which the project objectives, roles and responsibilities were defined and clearly discussed.
Focus on gender equality
Women, girls, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups are specifically encouraged to participate in decision-making processes and are integrated into them as part of our project. This also applies to the composition of the water committees. In previous projects in Somaliland and Ethiopia, where similar activities took place, arche nova has had positive experiences with women taking on the role of treasurer. The authorities’ guidelines also stipulate a quota for women; committees usually comprise three male and two female members.
Tackling the climate crisis
A glance at the consequences of global warming in the region illustrates just how urgent this project is. Whilst droughts occurred only about once every six years before the turn of the millennium, the frequency of extreme dry spells in the Horn of Africa has now doubled. The period from 2020 to 2022 was considered one of the worst droughts in the region.
This has also plunged large sections of the population in Somaliland into dire straits. On the parched pastures, herds of livestock could no longer find food; many families were forced to sell their animals at a loss, whilst others did not survive the drought. People’s means of subsistence collapsed; numerous families sought refuge in camps and became dependent on external aid.
At present (early November 2026), water availability in the Hawd region is relatively favourable. El Niño has led to above-average rainfall during the rainy season. The reservoirs are filling up.
At the same time, the risk of flooding in Somaliland is lower than, for example, further south-east in Somalia, where rivers had already burst their banks by the end of October, flooding entire swathes of land.
However, what is already causing concern amongst the people of Somaliland as the year draws to a close is El Niña – the phenomenon that follows on from El Niño and which could lead to severe droughts once again in 2027.
