The Importance of Water Resources in Somalia
Being the driving source of nature, water is among the most essential resources in any region as all kinds of life existence rely on the availability of water sources. East African countries which includes Somalia rely in water as a backbone of its economic, social and environmental growth and prosperity. The growing demand for water is however a growing concern in Somalia because if the continuous increase in its scarcity within the region as it is well known to be a water scarce country. Somalia has approximately 411 m3 of all the available renewable fresh water per capita according to the statistics conducted by the world bank in 2017. The amount of fresh water has continued to decline over the past years and it has currently fallen under the UN recommendation of 1,000 m3 per capita in the entire year. The continuous decline in fresh water sources in Somalia has contributed to the large competition over the scarce water resources which contributed to the never0ending conflicts in most parts of the region. The underground water is as well under continuous deterioration and this results from the overexploitation of the available few water resources because of the increased population that contributes to water pollution and depletion if the available resources. Further challenges associated with water scarcity result from the impacts of climate change which has contributed to the frequent occurrences of floods and droughts that last over a long period of time. The region experiences low levels of rainfall but there is hope in the future increase of rainfall levels. This essay identifies the water resource issues in Somalia.
The study was conducted by measuring the region’s annual rainfall and the evaporation levels which are the main factors that contrite to the current conditions of water resources. Water flow variation was as well taken into consideration for the entire year as water resources determine the level of water flow in rivers and other sources.
The study indicated that water resources in Somali are mainly affected by degradation, hot and dry climatic conditions and the unpredictable floods that hot the region once in a while. The hot climatic conditions contribute to high levels of evaporation and low rainfall output which causes strain to the available water resources.
Degraded Water Resources
Water resources in Somalia are highly degraded and this contributes to water shortage in the region. Many regions in the country experience dry climatic conditions for the entire year because if the high rates of evaporation associated with the hot and dry climatic conditions. The dry climatic conditions result in the degradation of the available water resources as overexploitation results into the contamination if the available water resources which makes it unsafe for the entire population. Overexploitation of water resources has resulted most of them drying up which is evident in the significant number of strategic boreholes that continue to yield low water capacity and this causes the overconcentration of human beings and livestock hence much pressure is inflicted on the available water resources. Depletion contributes to the degradation of such resources which is the leading factor that contributes to the current water shortage challenges as individuals have no access to clean and safe drinking water. Regions such as Juba land have extremely degraded water resources which resulted from the ongoing long drought sessions that hinders the population from accessing safe water for consumption, the lack of sanitation facilities and lack of good hygiene practices.
The Juba and Shabelle rivers are essential water resources in Somalia that has been affected by the ongoing hot and dry climatic conditions. The rivers were known to be have continuously strained under the dry climatic conditions which has reduced the long-term annual volume of water flow. The annual flow reduces as the rivers flow downstream because there is no much from the Somali catchment areas that contribute to the water levels in the two rivers. Other factors that have contributed to the depletion if the two water resources include the constant floods which spill off water from the rivers in the flood plains and flood relief channels hence diverting the flow of water in the rivers during the low and high water flow periods (Basnyat & Water, 2007). Moreover, the rivers experience water loss because of high evaporation and infiltration levels of the ground water along the two water resources.
The long lasting droughts contribute to the depletion of water resources in Somalia. It mainly affects the two main river basins because if the low-volume water flow that reach extremely low values that are close to zero during the years that experience extreme drought conditions.
Floods are a major issue when it comes to water resources in Somalia. The high floods experienced in the region result from the high rainfall intensity which affect the water catchment areas as water becomes denser hence disrupts the water catchment networks. It causes a rise in the river bed levels in most rivers because of the deposition if sediments from the floods. However, a rise in the river levels which deflects the water resources as well results from the irrigation practices that take place during the dry areas ad encroachment of the natural flood plains that results from human activities (Mourad, 2022, p. 1).
In conclusion, water resource issues in Somali results from the depletion if the available water resources due to the growing population that increase the demand of water. The region experiences hot and dry climatic conditions that highly contribute to the depletion of water resources as most of the water evaporates leaving behind little amounts of water that are extremely concentrated and not good for consumption. Overexploitation of water resources has resulted most of them drying up which is evident in the significant number of strategic boreholes that continue to yield low water capacity and this causes the overconcentration of human beings and livestock hence much pressure is inflicted on the available water resources. The region experiences frequent floods that temper with the normal flow and levels of water in the two main rivers. It is unfortunate that the current hot and dry climatic conditions in the region are a result of the impacts of climate change and this is more likely to cause worsened conditions in the nearby future.
References
Basnyat, D. and Water, S., 2007. Water resources of Somalia.
Mourad, K.A., 2022. Post-conflict development, reviewing the water sector in Somalia. Environment, Development and Sustainability, pp.1-25.
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