Addis Ababa (May 7, 2024) โ Water Ministers from member countries of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have launched a new initiative – “the Africa Groundwater Access Facility ( GaFa )” today in Ethiopia to help address water scarcity affecting millions of people in the Horn of Africa.
GaFa – Africa Groundwater Access Facility
The Ministers who gathered this morning in Jigjiga town of the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia took part in a meeting focused on water-related matters where Ethiopiaโs Minister of Water and Energy, Habtamu Itefa, accompanied by his counterparts from Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, and Djibouti.
The Horn of Africa is a region characterized by significant water scarcity, resulting from a combination of factors including limited surface water, heavy reliance on inconsistent rainfall patterns, rapid population growth leading to overexploitation of water resources, and increasing climatic variability.
This scarcity transcends environmental issues, intersecting with public health, economic stability, and regional security.
Addressing these multifaceted challenges requires innovative solutions that extend beyond conventional water management strategies.
The new initiative is believed to address this persistent challenge by taping into the regionโs unexploited, millions of cubic km deep groundwater reservoirs as a sustainable development solution.
The initiative will also create a platform for IGAD member states to collaborate on ground water mapping, data sharing and other related activities that bring dividends for communities living in borderland areas.
Ethiopiaโs Minister of Water and Energy, Habtamu Itefa said the horn of Africa region is currently affected by the adverse effect of climate change such as drought and floods, ENA reported. He added that Ethiopia has been exerting maximum efforts to improve the livelihood of vulnerable communities by increasing access to clean water.
GaFa – A Common Platform To Address Water Scarcity
In this regard, GaFa will help the region to identify the potential of ground water resources and use for commonly development.
Minister of Uganda, Kenya, Djibouti and South Sudan highlighted the importance of addressing the multifaceted challenges that requires innovative solutions extended beyond conventional water management strategies.
They also said the new initiative will foster relations among neighboring community and enhance water availability for them.
It will also help as a key platform for coordinated sustainable use of ground water in the region.
It was indicated on the occasion that investments in water, particularly the untapped wealth of groundwater, can be catalytic interventions, especially for borderlands where scarcity of resources is often a source of cyclical conflict for communities.
Several partners, including them World Bank, UNICEF, UNESCO, FAO, OCHA, and UNDP, are engaged with IGAD and member states on the GaFa initiative, it was learned.
According to UNDP, GaFa creates a platform for IGAD member states to collaborate on groundwater mapping, data sharing, and other related activities that bring development dividends for communities living in borderland areas.
“The concept of the GaFa was recently presented during the sidelines of the 2023 UN Water Conference as a shared Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. Investments in water, particularly the untapped wealth of groundwater, can be catalytic interventions, especially for borderlands where scarcity of resources is often a source of cyclical conflict for communities.” it said.
Several partners, including the World Bank, IFC, UNICEF, UNESCO, FAO, OCHA, and UNDP, are engaged with IGAD and member states on the GaFa initiative.
Borderlands in Africa are home to over 40 million people who face low infrastructure investments that cripple their capacity to weather increasingly severe, and more frequent, socio-economic and climatic shocks.
โThe Horn of Africa has been prone to droughts and floods in the past, but the frequency and severity have escalated in recent years making it almost impossible for millions of local communities in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan to build back before the next shock hits. The impact is especially severe for already vulnerable children, with millions each year suffering physical and mental health, sometimes with long-term scars.โ Mr. Daher Elmi, Director of Agriculture and Environment at IGAD, noted.
The formal launch of GaFa, a cross-border and cross-partner collaboration will kick in to invest in the proper feasibility analysis followed by the rollout of development projects in selected borderland areas of the Horn of Africa countries.
UNICEF is working to ensure that vulnerable populations in the Horn of Africa have reliable and sustainable access to clean water through a multi-faceted approach. This includes drilling wells, implementing water management strategies, and equipping communities with the tools and knowledge to sustainably manage their water resources.
By investing in groundwater infrastructure and capacity-building programs, UNICEF aims to alleviate water scarcity, improve health outcomes, and promote economic development in the region.
The initiative will scale up the knowledge around groundwater in the region by complementing ongoing groundwater Management Information System (MIS) systems with consolidating the available groundwater database.
That knowledge will be used to explore, identify and develop private-public partnerships around climate-resilient groundwater investments for domestic use, enhancing livelihoods, and strengthening the agricultural and industrial sectors.ย
โGaFa is poised to strengthen the resilience of our borderland communities, enabling them to thrive despite the climatic and economic challenges they face. This initiative not only provides immediate relief but also lays the groundwork for lasting peace and prosperity across the region,โ says Zeynu Ummer, Manager, UNDP Resilience Hub for Africa.