Republic of Somaliland Ministry of Planning and National Development Search ... Improving Communal Water Infrastructure in Qool Caday Access to safe drinking water for both human and animal population is fundamental for good quality of life. Pastoralist communities in the Qool Caday grazing plain of Somaliland, have long suffered the lack of a centralized communal water system for human and animal consumption, despite the fact that the topography of the area offers suitable conditions for sustainable water harvesting . To address this gap, the Somaliland Ministry of Livestock has secured funding from the Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) to implement the Livestock Holding Ground Project. The project supports the construction of water harvesting infrastructure including drilling of two boreholes and excavation of three earth dams, as well as other livestock enhancing support services including the construction of seven animal health and inspection centers. The project has so far completed two dams and drilled one communal borehole that supply plentiful water to the local community and their animals. Mr. Jama Hassan Omer (see picture below), 63, is one of the many pastoralists who feel better off with the services provided by the Livestock Holding Ground Project in Qool Caday. He now waters his camels from the communal borehole. “It is a relief for us to have this communal borehole near our encampment. During the worst days of the drought, we had the luxury to water our animals from this communal borehole. Before, there was no such thing as communal, we used to walk long distances and buy water from berkads in Sallahley, owned by individuals. Thank God, this is a total relief”, says Hassan. Animals were lean and malnourished as a result of the recent El Nino induced drought in the country. Hassan explains that his physically weak camels could barely walk the distances needed to get to water. He embraces the provision of access to safe drinking water for his camels and the community at large near his encampment (see picture below). “For animals, best pasture utilization happens when animals do not have to travel far for water. We feel that we are lucky to have this new water facility at such close proximity”, adds Hassan. The Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) is a 4-year fund designed to support the Government of Somaliland (GoSL) in filling critical gaps by funding projects that are fully aligned to the National Development Plan (NDP). The SDF is currently funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the Governments of Norway and the Netherlands. HOPE OF WATER FOR AROORI PASTORALISTS RESTORED “ We are all very excited about the project. This project has come a long way in restoring hope of water for the pastoralists in the Aroori grazing areas. Water is life.” Aden Mohamed, Resident Aroori, Togdheer The livelihoods of the pastoralists in the Aroori grazing area near Burao mainly depend on herding livestock, good rains and pasture. Recently, their way of life has come under threat due to the recurring droughts, environmental degradation, livestock depletion and drinking water shortages that are experienced in the area during the dry season. Water shortage has been a problem for years and has an impact on the wellbeing and economic activities of the community. Water shortage also leads to poor sanitation, lack of safe drinking water, and overcrowding at water sources. Belay Dirie, where Aden Mohamed together with his family resides, has been suffering from water shortages for years . For a long time, Aden and his family were among the communities that depended on small water sources, called berkads, as their only water supply source. These water sources, however, would only hold the water for a short period after the rains fell, and soon after, the problem of water shortage was getting bigger. “During the dry season, our berkad and other water sources ran out of water and we would wake up early in the morning and walk for long distances to find water”, says Aden. “Throughout this time, some of the community members were able to pay for delivery of water by water tankers while others were not, so they would have to move elsewhere in search of water. They were moving into areas where their animals would not be able to graze and would therefore lose their value”, he added. “I was the first who inhabited this area. I helped to dig the berkad beside us, but the dry season came and there was no water. I left my family by itself and, without a camel or donkey to carry water, reached Ceel-Same area, 7 km from here. I lent a camel from one of my relatives to bring water home. Leaving my family by itself was the most painful thing I encountered.” To address this, the Ministry of Livestock secured funds from the Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) and is currently implementing the Aroori Livestock Holding Ground   Project which aims to enhance livestock exporting systems with infrastructure and provide livestock producers and traders with the means to preserve the condition and market value of export animals. The project has rehabilitated several communal water sources including four balleys and two boreholes for vulnerable pastoral communities in Aroori. The rehabilitated communal water sources now have the capacity to hold enough water and sustain the community through the dry season. Generators are pumping water from the rehabilitated balleys into the water tanks where small pipelines take the water to the animal troughs. This has simplified the process and reduces the amount of time and energy spent for animal watering. In addition, all water points were fenced off to prevent any contamination by animal waste. Now the community has access to water nearby which, besides for human consumption, it is also using for vegetable growing, washing, and animal watering without any cost. The Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) is a 4-year fund designed to support the Government of Somaliland (GoSL) in filling critical gaps by funding projects that are fully aligned to the National Development Plan (NDP). The SDF is currently funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the Governments of Norway and the Netherlands. Launch of Construction of the Water Technology Institute The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Water Technology Institute was held on 26 July 2017 in Hargeisa. The event marks the start of the construction of the renewed Water Technology Institute. The project is implemented by the Somaliland Ministry of Water Resources and is funded by the Somaliland Development Fund (SDF). The institute, which provides short term vocational trainings, currently consists of one work shop and two small rooms. The Ministry will construct a one-story building and four classrooms. After completion of the construction, it is expected that the institute can admit more students in a regular way and provide a more advanced level of training. The launching ceremony was presided over by Hussein Abdi Boos, Minister of Water Resources, and attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Water Resources and officials from the SDF Secretariat. While speaking at the launching event, the Minister of Water Resources applauded the donors for their contribution to the development of Somaliland: “I am delighted to witness the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Water Technology Institute in Hargeisa. This is the result of the joint effort of the Ministry of Water Resources and the donor community, through the SDF, whom we are very thankful to. This institute, when fully functional, will contribute major benefits to the Water Distribution System maintenances. The students graduated from the institute will be operating at different sites where boreholes and water supply systems are located. The graduates w