ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF URBANIZATION ON WATER SUPPLY IN SOMALILAND: A CASE STUDY OF HARGEISA CITY

Abstract

The rapid urbanization is taking place across many developing countries, including Somaliland, which creates major difficulties in terms of ensuring sufficient water supplies to meet the parallel increasing demand. Thus, the study was conducted to evaluate the effects of urbanization on the supply and availability of water in Somaliland, with a special focus on Hargeisa City. The research emphasizes how important it is to recognize the value of water and take into account its economic, social, ecological, and cultural factors. In Somaliland, the number of people living in cities has been consistently rising, and Hargeisa City is experiencing rapid growth and high population density. The existing urban water infrastructure in the city is insufficient to respond to the demands of its growing population. Consequently, almost 65% of the population of Hargeisa depends on water that is transported by tankers and donkey cars from poorly maintained and unreliable sources. Data was collected using primary and secondary techniques. Primary data was collected through questionnaires, interviews, and observations. From among the nine districts comprising the city of Hargeisa, two primary districts were selected for the purpose of assessing the water supply system and its associated factors. A total of 198 questionnaires containing 49 questions were prepared and distributed to targeted community members (households), in Hargeisa City. As well as, a total of 24 questions were prepared aiming for interviews to the government and private water vendors officials. The collected data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to visualize the result in various expression forms (frequencies, percentages, correlations, and significant values). The study discovered that a significant proportion (41% = 78 individuals) of households utilizing pipeline tap water supplied by Hargeisa Water Agency spend monthly expenses below $20. In contrast, the majority of households (43% = 84 individuals) that utilize private water tankers pay between $35 and $50 per month, which is substantially more than the first group. Moreover, the correlation analysis showed that a significant negative correlation (R2=-0.246. p = 0.001) between household income and reliance on the main water source, and a significant positive correlation (R2=0.14, p = 0.018) between the utilization of private water vendors and their associated average monthly cost. The majority of households (90%) stated climate change impacts on water supply, in terms of changes in water availability and decreased rainfall. Overall, this study concludes the challenges faced by Hargeisa city in meeting the water demand of its growing urban population, including inadequate infrastructure, reliance on a single water source, and with economic, environmental and social factors influencing water supply. The study recommends to implement income-based tariff structures, explore alternative water sources, conduct public awareness campaigns, monitor the water supply system and promote effective water management through inclusive collaboration.