The Construction of Two Sub-Surface Dams in Geed-Deeble….

Hargeisa Water Agency (HWA) had recently laid the foundation stone for two sub-surface dam projects in Geed-Deeble village in Somaliland, one funded by HWA and another by Pharo Foundation. HWA’s General Manager, Mohamed Darod, welcomed Dr. Ahmed Adan Buhane, Minister of Planning and National Development, Abdikarim Ahmed Mooge, Mayor of Hargeisa, Mohamed Muse Elmi , Pharo Foundation Somaliland Country Representative, Eng. Mohamoud Abdi, the Head of the Water Development Program at Pharo Foundation, and several other government officials and community representatives to the inauguration event in Geed-Deeble.

As the Horn of Africa, and Somaliland in particular, has been suffering from one of the worst

climate change effects, which are severe droughts and shortage in rainfalls, which influenced the water retention of the groundwater aquifer and, as a result, stresses the aquifer. It is worth mentioning that groundwater is the primary source of water in Somaliland. Therefore, the solution here is sustainable aquifer management and establishing water sustainability projects such as constructing dams to harvest rainwater and recharge the aquifer. From that perspective, HWA has taken the responsibility to establish water sustainability projects to reduce the stress on the aquifer while mitigating the effects of climate change.

Subsurface dams are barriers of low permeability that are constructed underground. These structures reduce or stop the lateral flow of groundwater to store water underground and raise the groundwater table. Subsurface dams augment aquifer storage in semi-arid basement terrains with high drought propensity. This technology could aid the rural poor in their battle for subsistence in such areas. To construct subsurface dams, a trench is built across a stream or valley until the depth of the bedrock or a layer of clay is reached. An impervious or low permeability wall is constructed within the trench, and the trench is filled with the excavated material.

The Two ongoing projects are:

1- Darayga Sub-surface dam

The Darayga subsurface dam in Geed-Deeble. The subsurface is expected to recharge eight

boreholes and revive the environment in the area, as it will contribute significant benefits to

the environment and the groundwater aquifer. This project is funded by Hargeisa Water Agency and implemented by The Center for Ground and Surface Water Management of HWA. The project is a masonry wall project, 120m in length and 5m in height (in Depth). The below diagram shows the design of the sub-surface dam:

2- Geed-Deeble sub-surface Dam:

The Geed-Deeble subsurface dam in Geed-Deeble. This project is funded by Pharo

Foundation and implemented by the contractor , Emisoma Construction Company. The subsurface is expected to recharge three boreholes and contribute significant benefits to the natural environment and the groundwater aquifer.

The project is a masonry wall project, 140m in length and 4.4m in height (in Depth). The diagram on

the right shows the design of the sub-surface dam:

By Muna Abdalla ismail, Director, The Center For Ground and Surface Water Management. Email. muna.ismail@hargeisawateragency.com