Cross-Border Water Resources Management in the Horn of Africa:

Cross-border water resources management in the Horn of Africa: Status and trends in transboundary basins and aquifers This brief is part of a series of knowledge briefs on “Cross-border water resources management in the Horn of Africa”: 1. [...] The work supports the UN’s five-year Comprehensive Regional Prevention Strategy for the Horn of Africa (2019- 2023), in particular Pillar 4 on sustainable natural resources development and climate resilience. [...] This knowledge brief gives an overview of: the socioeconomic dependence on transboundary basins and aquifers in the Horn of Africa; threats to socioeconomic development in the form of droughts and floods; the future impacts of climate change and socioeconomic shifts; and the importance of natural resources management for resilience. [...] The altered water regimes from this development can cause internal and cross-border conflicts.6,7 Approximately 5% of rural populations in the Horn have access to electricity,8 and it is expected that expansion of hydropower will be used to meet growing irrigation and energy demand.9 As of 2019, 11% of potential hydropower in Africa has been utilised, and10 only Sudan is known to have high [...] Knowledge Gaps Rainfall and temperature data is well known, but: • Availability of water is less well characterized • Usage and demand¸ especially from groundwater resources, is only known on a local scale5/9 Floods Riverine flooding affects a Medium to Extremely High proportion of the population in the Horn of Africa region. [...] Both a large area and high proportion of the population is impacted in South Sudan (Figure 3). [...] Climate Changes Rainfall is predicted to increase in some areas in the region by 20-30% by the end of the century, but change is already impacting farming and food security. [...] Changes in availability and quality of water resources from both climate and socioeconomic changes. Information on water quality and groundwater aquifers are particularly wide knowledge gaps.7/9 increase. Rainfall during the long wet season is predicted to decrease in duration, with later onset and earlier cessation, even while absolute rainfall is predicted to increase.29,30 CIWA reports pre [...] This rapid growth is accompanied by an expanding youth demographic – 50% of the Horn is categorized as youth.36 The youth bulge and rapid growth places pressure on the region to provide adequate jobs, food, and water for the growing population. [...] Large portions of the Horn are vulnerable to a Medium to Very High degree, and increasing resilience is an important target for the IGAD region.