Somaliland, similarly to many Countries in Africa and globally, is characterized by hydrological data and water scarcity, and faces immense challenges in accessing clean water for its rural communities. The lack of hydrological and hydrogeological ground information, combined with land and vegetation degradation, exacerbated by climatic challenges, set significant limitations in the ability to identify sustainable water management strategies and access aquifers resources. This underscores the urgent need for the identification and adoption of effective and sustainable water management strategies. In this thesis I focused on developing and applying sustainable Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) strategies in data-scarce regions, specifically in the Darar-weyne Basin in Somaliland. The goal was to enhance the provision of clean water to rural populations through MAR techniques. This was achieved by using global hydrological datasets such as CHIRPS, GPM and ERA5-Land and hydrological modeling using Soil Moisture Accounting (SMA) method within the widely-adopted hydrologic modelling system developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, HEC-HMS, one of the standards in this field. The study explores three nature-based solutions (NBS); sand dams, semi-circular soil bunds, and increased vegetation cover, particularly grasslands to analyze their impacts on aquifer recharge. For each NBS three scenarios were modeled in HEC-HMS using SMA method, with primary input variables being surface storage (SS, mm), maximum infiltration rate (MIR, mm/hr) and soil storage (SoilS, mm). These scenarios were compared to a baseline scenario, representing the absence of NBS interventions. A percentage-based comparison was also performed to evaluate the effectiveness of each scenario relative to the baseline scenario. The key output layers considered in this study resulting from the SMA model include the average annual cumulative values (mm/year) for aquifer recharge, infiltration, direct runoff, and base flow. While all strategies showed distinct impacts on the hydrological cycle, sand dams and semi-circular soil bunds offer substantial benefits, particularly in eliminating direct runoff (100% elimination) and sustaining base flow (3-15%), with semi-circular soil bunds showing slightly higher efficiency in recharging aquifers (11-15%) than sand dam (3-6%). Increased vegetation cover, however, stands out for its superior performance in aquifer recharge (16-17%) and base flow enhancement (17-18%), making it an effective strategy for long-term water resource sustainability.
Somaliland, similarly to many Countries in Africa and globally, is characterized by hydrological data and water scarcity, and faces immense challenges in accessing clean water for its rural communities. The lack of hydrological and hydrogeological ground information, combined with land and vegetation degradation, exacerbated by climatic challenges, set significant limitations in the ability to identify sustainable water management strategies and access aquifers resources. This underscores the urgent need for the identification and adoption of effective and sustainable water management strategies. In this thesis I focused on developing and applying sustainable Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) strategies in data-scarce regions, specifically in the Darar-weyne Basin in Somaliland. The goal was to enhance the provision of clean water to rural populations through MAR techniques. This was achieved by using global hydrological datasets such as CHIRPS, GPM and ERA5-Land and hydrological modeling using Soil Moisture Accounting (SMA) method within the widely-adopted hydrologic modelling system developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, HEC-HMS, one of the standards in this field. The study explores three nature-based solutions (NBS); sand dams, semi-circular soil bunds, and increased vegetation cover, particularly grasslands to analyze their impacts on aquifer recharge. For each NBS three scenarios were modeled in HEC-HMS using SMA method, with primary input variables being surface storage (SS, mm), maximum infiltration rate (MIR, mm/hr) and soil storage (SoilS, mm). These scenarios were compared to a baseline scenario, representing the absence of NBS interventions. A percentage-based comparison was also performed to evaluate the effectiveness of each scenario relative to the baseline scenario. The key output layers considered in this study resulting from the SMA model include the average annual cumulative values (mm/year) for aquifer recharge, infiltration, direct runoff, and base flow. While all strategies showed distinct impacts on the hydrological cycle, sand dams and semi-circular soil bunds offer substantial benefits, particularly in eliminating direct runoff (100% elimination) and sustaining base flow (3-15%), with semi-circular soil bunds showing slightly higher efficiency in recharging aquifers (11-15%) than sand dam (3-6%). Increased vegetation cover, however, stands out for its superior performance in aquifer recharge (16-17%) and base flow enhancement (17-18%), making it an effective strategy for long-term water resource sustainability.
Development and Application of Sustainable Aquifer Recharge Measures In Data-Scarce Regions In Somalia
QAYYUM, UROOJ
2023/2024
Abstract
Somaliland, similarly to many Countries in Africa and globally, is characterized by hydrological data and water scarcity, and faces immense challenges in accessing clean water for its rural communities. The lack of hydrological and hydrogeological ground information, combined with land and vegetation degradation, exacerbated by climatic challenges, set significant limitations in the ability to identify sustainable water management strategies and access aquifers resources. This underscores the urgent need for the identification and adoption of effective and sustainable water management strategies. In this thesis I focused on developing and applying sustainable Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) strategies in data-scarce regions, specifically in the Darar-weyne Basin in Somaliland. The goal was to enhance the provision of clean water to rural populations through MAR techniques. This was achieved by using global hydrological datasets such as CHIRPS, GPM and ERA5-Land and hydrological modeling using Soil Moisture Accounting (SMA) method within the widely-adopted hydrologic modelling system developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, HEC-HMS, one of the standards in this field. The study explores three nature-based solutions (NBS); sand dams, semi-circular soil bunds, and increased vegetation cover, particularly grasslands to analyze their impacts on aquifer recharge. For each NBS three scenarios were modeled in HEC-HMS using SMA method, with primary input variables being surface storage (SS, mm), maximum infiltration rate (MIR, mm/hr) and soil storage (SoilS, mm). These scenarios were compared to a baseline scenario, representing the absence of NBS interventions. A percentage-based comparison was also performed to evaluate the effectiveness of each scenario relative to the baseline scenario. The key output layers considered in this study resulting from the SMA model include the average annual cumulative values (mm/year) for aquifer recharge, infiltration, direct runoff, and base flow. While all strategies showed distinct impacts on the hydrological cycle, sand dams and semi-circular soil bunds offer substantial benefits, particularly in eliminating direct runoff (100% elimination) and sustaining base flow (3-15%), with semi-circular soil bunds showing slightly higher efficiency in recharging aquifers (11-15%) than sand dam (3-6%). Increased vegetation cover, however, stands out for its superior performance in aquifer recharge (16-17%) and base flow enhancement (17-18%), making it an effective strategy for long-term water resource sustainability.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12608/69470