A berkad is large rectangular, elongated basin sometimes up to four metres deep, common in Somalia as a storage for harvested rain water. It is one of several rain water harvesting structures used in the severely water stressed country – shallow water wells, boreholes and dams are also common.
Somalia has one of the most erratic rainfall patterns in the regions. With the minor exception of sections of Hirshabelle to the South and a tiny part of Woqooyi Galbeed near Hargeisa in the Somaliland, delayed, failed or varied rainfall patterns are persistent in Somalia and severely limit food production in 2.3 million hectares entirely dependent on rain-fed agriculture.
The country’s ground water sources barely make it through to the next rainy season – often times, in drier regions like Puntland, Southern Somaliland and Galgaduud, some ground water sources (boreholes and shallow water wells) last between 60% to 80% of the dry season before running dry. This is an indicator of yet another impending danger – depleted ground water sources.
In 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Somalia Water and Land Information Unit (SWALIM) surveyed 1,270 sites, half of which were shallow water wells. Unregulated drilling has led to over-exploitation of ground water sources, and in some cases, pollution of sub-surface water structures by contaminated run-off.
This would be a good time as any for Somalia to invest in artificial recharge systems (ARS) to replenish the country’s dwindling aquifers. Simply defined ARS are planned developments aimed at boosting capacity of ground water replenishment through percolation of surface run-off to ground water aquifers. Though costly, ARS produces impressive results. A hydrogeological survey carried out in Wardi District, Maharastra State, India (2016) revealed ground water levels rose between 0.8m to 2.8m in 12 dug wells within the study area, which solved drinking water and irrigation problems.
A recent hydrogeological survey in Dharoor Valley, Puntland Region, estimated the average daily water use per person in Somalia at 15 litres per day; this means the entire population requires at least 225 million litres per day. With proper ARS investments, ground water resources can sustainably delivery trillions of litres of water effectively boosting urban settlement, livestock production and irrigation, and further reduce the $15 billion spent yearly on food imports in Somalia.
To date, comprehensive surveys by SWALIM provide detailed information on hydrogeological parameters like porosity, specific yield, transmissivity and ground water status, enough data to inform on viable ARS investments in Somalia.