Strategic Approach for Community Resilience in Borderland Areas Key: Minister of Water, Energy

Addis Ababa, May 7/2024 (ENA)  Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy, Habtamu Itefa stressed the need for forging strategic approach to create community resilience in borderland areas. 

Africa Groundwater Access Facility (GaFa) initiative has been launched today in Somali regional state in the presence of higher government officials, ministers of water of IGAD member states and representatives of UN and partners.

Speaking at the occasion, the minister stressed that the bondage between citizens of Ethiopia with Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan is unique of its kind as they share mainly ground water resources.

He mentioned the unfortunate natural calamities where the communities in the border areas are vulnerable to common disasters, flooding and drought.

The occurrence of extreme circumstances have been hitting the region and the consequences are causing significant loss to human life, livestock and property of citizens, he said.     

Governments and development partners as well as humanitarian agencies have been striving  to intervene and rescue the life of people, the minister said.

"Strategic approach  of creating resilience community that helps us to sustain the life and brings prosperity to our people is the only way that we all gear towards joining hand to hand, ” he stressed.

The project launched today helps us to develop ground water for the wellbeing of our people, he said, adding that scaling up of the GaFa initiative and initiating similar project will pave the way for focused planning and action in our ground water utilization in the future, he elaborated.

He also called on relevant stakeholders  to join hand to hand for synergy, efficient utilization of limited resources mainly finance, human  and natural resource, and above all, the ground water.

UNDP Manager for Resilience Hub for Africa, Zeynu Ummer on his part said that ground breaking studies have revealed vast reserve of ground water access across Africa.

 

He mentioned that studies by renowned institutions have highlighted significant ground water potential specially in the Horn of Africa, and pointed out that this untapped resource could be the key to sustainability in regions,  plagued by water scarcity, to provide a lifeline for millions.   

"The Groundwater Access Facility (GaFa) is transformative effort, designed to tap into this extensive groundwater reserves providing reliable water resource for drinking agriculture and industry."

It is poised to strengthen the resilience of our borderland communities, enabling them to thrive despite the climatic and economic challenges they face.