Surgudud village in Dollow District, Somalia is home to over 250 households. Limited WASH infrastructure, high costs from private water suppliers, and safety concerns for women and girls forced to make long trips for water highlight some of the daily challenges faced by these communities in accessing clean water. These challenges have been intensified by the impact of climate change. Last year, for example, according to reports by The Somalia Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) flooding displaced 1.2 million people and affected 2.48 million, with infrastructure damage leaving many communities, including Surgudud, without reliable access to clean water.
As a result of the damage caused by the floods on the WASH infrastructure, the community relied on the nearby Dawa River, which is heavily contaminated, for all their water needs. This exposed them to the risk of contracting acute watery diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera with UNOCHA reporting an increase in such cases exacerbated by the disruption of health services due to the flooding.
“Every day, together with my women group we would walk for three kilometres, carrying jerricans on our backs, to fetch water for our families. And yet, it was never enough,” recalls Mama Arfoon Ahmed, the Surgudud Women’s Chairperson. “We had to do this twice daily.”
NAPAD’s Response and Technological Innovation
With support from Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Nomadic Assistance for Peace and Development (NAPAD) initiated a project to transform water access in Surgudud. Through NCA’s El Niño Response Fund, NAPAD constructed a shallow well and installed a solar-powered water pumping system. The installation included 2 kilometres of pipework connecting the well to a concrete storage tank replacing exposed pipe parts with G.I pipes, as well as two water collection points equipped with six taps each to minimize wait times.
Drilling as opposed to traditional hand-dug shallow wells ensured that the structure was deep enough to prevent silting while the additional protective design measures make the well resilient to climatic shocks such as floods, safeguarding it against future contamination. Powered by a sustainable 21,700-watt solar system, the well now provides a reliable, renewable source of clean water.
Impact on the Community
For months now, Mama Arfoon a mother of six, along with 300 other households, have enjoyed easier access to clean water just meters from their homes. This has reduced the time women and children spend collecting water, freeing them up for other activities, such as attending school, caring for their households among other domestic chores, or engaging in small-scale economic activities that contribute to household income.
“For many years, we had no clean water close to our homes. We no longer have to walk under the hot sun to fetch water to and from the river, which sometimes has crocodiles, is tiring and there are risks of harassment. Now, the water is right here, and we can collect it at any time, day, or night,” Mama Arfoon shared happily.
Empowering the Community through Sustainable Water Management
By establishing a trained water committee, the community now operates and maintains the water system independently creating a sense of ownership and accountability. This committee, trained to handle technical maintenance, ensures the system’s sustainability. To cover the maintenance costs, the committee collects a small fee from the community creating a self-sustaining model that funds minor repairs and keeps the system running efficiently.
The committee also mediates any conflicts over water access using nonviolent methods. This empowers the community with practical skills, strengthening their capacity to manage challenges collectively and promotes peaceful coexistence.
Through this partnership, NAPAD and NCA are helping communities in Surgudud, access affordable, clean water through innovative, climate-resilient solutions.