By Sharon Lukunka

 

Water coming from a tap at the water point in Nifasha camp for internally displaced people, North Darfur. Photo by Albert González Farran

As water shortages in camps for displaced people have become a harsh reality of life in Darfur, long queues of women and children at water points have become a frequent feature of this region’s stark landscape.

The minimum amount of clean water that one person needs each day is between 7.5 and 15 litres, according to international guidelines. Given the pressure from rapid demographic growth and the large population concentrations occurring in Darfur’s towns and camps for displaced people, acquiring even this bare minimum amount of water has become a challenge. In this context, effective management of the resource becomes critical.

Darfur is largely arid, and demand for water in the region has dramatically increased in recent years. Reasons for this can be traced to the growth of urban areas coupled with the pressure of droughts. While the region has a brief rainy season, usually from June to October each year, a serious decline in the water table has occurred near urban centres and camps for displaced people, making access to water a source of conflict between communities.

The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and UN agencies have been working with local partners and relevant institutions to increase access to, and improve the management of, such water resources for all local communities. Residents in El Fasher, North Darfur, for example, rely on the Golo reservoir, which supplies water to the town, serving more than 500,000 people. Support from international NGOs to fund the rehabilitation of the reservoir and construct a pipeline to carry water from the reservoir to the town has been a major factor in providing the people of El Fasher with an adequate water supply.
 

Golo reservoir, in the outskirts of El Fasher, which supplies water to 50,000 people. Photo by Albert González Farran

Recently, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) launched the Wadi El Ku project in a water catchment area west of El Fasher. The project is expected to help an estimated 90,000 people and, later, to be scaled up and replicated in other parts of Darfur. UNEP personnel are working to improve water management and enable access to water in the region to help the people of Darfur achieve sustainable livelihoods and foster increased stability within and between communities.

“Water is a key driver of economic and social development along with its primary function in maintaining the integrity of the natural environment,” says Ms. Magda Nassef, a UNEP representative. “However, water is only one of many vital natural resources and it is imperative that water issues are not considered in isolation.”

For its part, UNAMID has been conducting a programme to drill water wells to provide water to local communities. “So far, six boreholes have been drilled in Tulus, El Sereif and Nertiti in Central Darfur,” says Mr. Emmanuel Mollel, Chief of UNAMID’s Water and Environmental Protection section. “Engineers serving with the Mission have drilled three boreholes in Um Kadada and two in Habilla, North Darfur.”

In addition, Mr. Mollel explains, UNAMID-contracted partners have completed drilling one borehole in Shangil Tobaya and are currently drilling in Tawila and Um Kadada, North Darfur. “UNAMID has rehabilitated three dams in South Darfur and is in the process of constructing one hafir in Mukjar, West Darfur,” he notes.

World Water Day, celebrated annually on 22 March, is this year focused on promoting the theme “Water and Energy.” Ahead of this year’s World Water Day, representatives from UN agencies and experts from energy companies met in January at a conference in Zaragoza, Spain, to discuss the challenges and determine solutions to the problem of ensuring access, efficiency and sustainability in the provision of water and energy.

At the conference, participants discussed how energy is directly related to management of water resources. Water is heavy, so energy is required for its transportation, which makes the process costly. Some 30 per cent of the operational cost of a water utility consists of energy. Given this reality, the conference participants indicated that social policies must be created to include both water and energy management for an effective overall resource management programme.