Methods for Water Provision in northern Mogadishu - Book Report/Review Example

 Methods for Water Provision in northern Mogadishu Introduction Water scarcity remains one of the major problems in the northern parts of Mogadishu, Somalia. Coupled with constant insecurity, the residents find it difficult to access enough water to satisfy their needs and conduct some agricultural activities. This semi-arid area of Mogadishu particularly requires water provision to cater for the internally displaced people who constantly flock in the safer sides of the town. According to a report concluded by MercyCorps, there is no enough water to cater for the massive influx of internally displaced families and the infrastructure available to convey the available water to the needy people is not appropriate. This report seeks to recommend two ways of providing water in northern Mogadishu. It also compares the two ways to find the convenience provided by each one through cost evaluation, environmental and social impact. Background In order to supply water to arid and semi-arid areas like northern Mogadishu, there is a need to understand the dynamics of the region and the availability water resource base. This requires understanding of the water needs, the proper expectation and planning of the precipitation that fall in the rainy period and developing or analysis of the existing water supply infrastructure. This means that actions that are related to water management in northern Mogadishu should be determined by the nature of the prevalent hydro climate (Hills 25). That said; there needs to an initial sufficient water resource base through maximum exploitation of the available water resources such as capitalizing on the short rainfall and ground water resources. Additionally, the social impact of the methods should be positive; the costs ought to be minimal and affordable while also protecting the environment. In most arid areas, there is usually a period of downpour that can sometimes be intense. Though occurring for short periods, the water that can manifests itself in the form of surface runoff can add up to the existing water resource base if well collected and managed. There lies cost efficient potential to increase the existing water supplies by improving the existing water collection and management strategies (Banarjee &Elvira 17). Deep in the surface, the northern parts of Mogadishu may contain ground water. Ground water can be exploited in a large scale manner and availed to the needy population. The most efficient ways to address the water issue in northern Mogadishu lies in two alternatives namely 1. Rain water harvesting Water shortage can be tackled by storing water especially surface run off for future use and distribution. Collecting this water and storing does not harm the environment and is socially acceptable. There needs to be a collection areas, conveyance systems and storage areas (Singh 19). This method of collecting rain water can capitalize on the topological nature of northern Mogadishu. A rain water harvesting system is likely to be more cost effective if only made in in a large scale approach. According to U.K Rainwater Harvesting Association, a domestic rainwater harvesting system may cost $2500 to $3000. This is not ideal as many people in northern Mogadishu cannot afford it. If done on a large scale, the construction cost will be reduced and many people will be served. However, there are maintenance costs to include. Once the water is collected in storage areas, proper management should start so that there is equitable access of the water and less wastage. It requires construction of water supply infrastructure that minimizes water loss (Maliva &Missimer 32). For instance, the Israeli government utilizes a system where there is an extensive network of pipelines to supply water to the needy regions. The same can be applied in northern Mogadishu especially considering that there are high evaporation rates. An open water supply system is most likely to cause a huge loss of water through evaporation especially if the distance to the areas where the needy population is located is big (Stephenson 62). Rainwater harvesting as a way of availing and providing water to residents of northern Mogadishu bears significant benefits. It is easy to operate and maintain. Once the right areas to conduct rain water harvesting are identified, the technology used requires little and less difficult maintenance. Borehole Drilling Arid and semi-arid areas can be assessed for the availability of ground water below the surface. In most areas, drilling for ground water turns out to be positive. The northern part of Mogadishu bears the potential to extract ground water in form of drilling. With extensive drilling of boreholes, there can be enough water to cater for the needs of the people (Calas 44). The cost of digging a borehole varies depending on the depth of the water table or the rocks before the water table. In the case of northern Mogadishu, the cost of drilling a borehole is $2000 if the services of water drilling companies are used. Boreholes can also be done manually though it is tiring considering the water table in low in the semi-arid area. They are more acceptable to the community due to extreme easiness to acquire and handle. The water boards in Mogadishu can use the services of borehole drilling companies such as Pass Africa. Ltd. They are efficient, and provide borehole safety. The impact of boreholes on the environment is not bad. It does not harm the surface as boreholes occupy little space. Comparison of the two options Without a doubt, the two options are very ideal for application in northern Mogadishu. However, there is one that is cheaper to implement. In terms of costs, rainwater harvesting in a domestic perspective exceeds borehole drilling by more than $500. It is better to have boreholes drilled in the area in consideration of the costs. Both of them are environmental friendly and are at par on that aspect. Their social impact is good and do not violate any social cultural aspect of the society. A good project should not cause any upheavals in what the society holds as its beliefs or affect their social way of life (Maliva &Missimer 32). Nevertheless, drilling boreholes all over can present a safety risk especially where many people live. Water harvesting does not provide as much risks as borehole drilling but it has extra costs in buying and maintaining water storage facilities. When water harvesting is a big project, water distribution and labour costs may be high. Conclusion The two ways of providing water in northern Mogadishu are practical and relevant to the topography and climate of the areas. They are easy to implement with the right assistance from the government and community based groups. The fact that they are cost effective, socially acceptable and environmental friendly is a plus. Recommendations Borehole drilling is the water method to adopt for the particular part. In terms of costs-which are not readily available in the area, borehole drilling overcomes the benefits of rain water harvesting. Boreholes are easy to maintain and each family can assume responsibility for a borehole they uses. It would also be easy to convince the society to adopt it as a way to have household water. Furthermore, the package provided by most water drilling companies includes training the community on safety and sanitation of the borehole. However, with increased funding, it is better to adopt both methods especially as the population increases. (Word Count=1212 words References Agricultural and water surveys: Somalia; final report. (196768). Rome: United Nations Development Program. Banerjee, S. G. (2011). Africa's water and sanitation infrastructure access, affordability, and alternatives. Washington, D.C.: World Bank. Calas, B. (2010). Shared waters, shared opportunities hydropolitics in East Africa. Nairobi, Kenya: French Institute for Research in Africa: Ground water investigation for Mogadishu water supply. (1965). New York: Hydrotechnic Corp. Groundwater Surveys in Developing Regions. (2010). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Hills, E. S. (1969). Arid lands: a geographical appraisal (Repr. ed.). London [u.a: Methuen [u.a.] Singh, D. K. (2012). Rain water harvesting. Jaipur: Oxford Book Co. Stephenson, D., & Shemang, E. M. (2004). Water Resources of Arid Areas Proceedings of the International Conference on Water. Hoboken: Taylor & Francis. Wheater, H, Mathias, S. A., & Li, X. (2010). Groundwater modelling in arid and semi-arid areas. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More