Water sector Ministers of IGAD member states and partners have launched Groundwater Access Facility (GAFA) on May 7th, 2024 in Ethiopia’s Jigjiga city, aimed at resolving shortage of water in the communities settled along border areas of the Horn of African countries.
During the launching ceremony, Ethiopia’s Somali regional state Chief Mustafe Mohammed said the Ground Access Facility is an important initiative to revolutionize ground water resource driven cooperation among the border sharing countries.
Ethiopia’s Water and Energy Minister Habtamu Itefa also mentioned that the Horn of African countries are known for sharing culture, religion, and identity. He added that the countries in their border areas also share natural resources like ground water that can serve as a means of cooperation.
The GAFA initiative is to create a platform for IGAD member states to collaborate on groundwater mapping, data sharing, and other related activities that bring change for communities living in borderland area, he stated.
According to the United Nations, the Horn of Africa has been affected by drought for 73 years now and more than 15 million people across Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan are suffering from shortage of water.
However, the region can
change this reality if the countries work in cooperation to improve access to
water through unlocking groundwater potentials. It is with this intention that the IGAD member states are undertaking the GAFA initiative with a financial support from the World Bank.
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