- Background and Rationale
The city of Burao is located in an arid to semi-arid environment where groundwater constitutes the primary source of water for domestic, livestock, and small-scale productive uses. Burao serves as the administrative capital of Togdheer Region and lies within the Togdheer drainage basin (wadi system), a seasonal watershed that plays a critical role in surface water flow, infiltration, and groundwater recharge across the region.
However, increasing population pressure, recurrent droughts, and climate variability have significantly strained existing water resources, leading to declining borehole yields, localized increases in salinity, and growing dependence on poorly understood aquifer systems.
World Vision International, through its Somaliland programme, has been implementing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), natural resource management, and climate resilience initiatives targeting vulnerable rural and peri-urban communities. These interventions aim to improve access to safe drinking water, strengthen community resilience, and promote sustainable livelihoods in drought prone areas.
As part of its programming approach, World Vision is advancing an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) project in the Burao area, which emphasizes the sustainable and coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources. Complementary national and regional initiatives, including Integrated Land and Water Resources Management programmes supported by partners such as FAO SWALIM, further underscore the importance of reliable data systems and coordinated planning to enhance water resource management and climate resilience in Somaliland.
Despite these efforts, a critical knowledge gap remains in the understanding of groundwater systems, including:
- Aquifer extent and connectivity
- Recharge mechanisms and rates
- Sustainable abstraction limits
- Spatial variability of groundwater quality
The absence of high-resolution hydrogeological data has often resulted in:
- Low borehole success rates
- Inefficient siting of water infrastructure
- Increased investment risks
- Unsustainable groundwater abstraction
In line with IWRM principles, this assignment adopts a watershed-based approach, focusing on the Togdheer basin that underlies and surrounds Burao, recognizing that groundwater systems are hydrologically interconnected and influenced by catchment-scale processes such as runoff, infiltration, and recharge from seasonal river systems (wadis).
This consultancy therefore seeks to undertake comprehensive groundwater mapping across the Burao urban area and the wider Togdheer watershed to generate scientifically robust data and decision-support tools. The results will directly inform ongoing and future World Vision IWRM interventions, improve water supply planning, reduce drilling risks, and enhance the long-term sustainability and resilience of groundwater resources in the region.
- Objectives
- Delineate aquifers and groundwater potential zones
- Assess aquifer depth, yield, Current and potential aquifer recharge mechanism recharge, and water quality
- Produce maps and drilling recommendations
- Scope of Work
- Desk study and data review
- Field investigations (hydrogeological survey, geophysics, water sampling from existing boreholes)
- Data analysis and GIS mapping
- Reporting and validation
- Methodology
Detailed Methodology for Groundwater Mapping
- Overall Approach
The study will adopt an integrated methodology combining both primary data sources and secondary data sources
- Primary investigations will include; Hydrogeological investigations, Geophysical surveys, Remote sensing and GIS data collection and analysis, Water quality assessment, and Hydrogeological modelling
- Geological study: The geological study will involve the characterization of surface and subsurface geological formations within the Togdheer basin influencing Burao. This will include detailed mapping of lithology, stratigraphy, structural features (faults, fractures, and joints), and weathering profiles. Existing geological maps and borehole logs will be reviewed and validated through field reconnaissance. Particular attention will be given to identifying fractured and weathered zones that control groundwater occurrence and movement. The outputs will inform the interpretation of aquifer systems and guide the siting of geophysical surveys and potential drilling locations.
- Hydrogeological study: The hydrogeological study will focus on assessing groundwater occurrence, movement, and sustainability within the study area. This will include inventory and assessment of existing water points (boreholes, wells, and springs), measurement of static water levels, and analysis of historical pumping data where available. Selected boreholes will undergo pumping tests to determine key aquifer parameters such as transmissivity, storativity, and sustainable yield. Groundwater quality sampling and analysis will also be conducted to assess suitability for various uses. The study will integrate all data to develop a conceptual hydrogeological model of the basin, identify recharge and discharge zones, and provide recommendations for sustainable groundwater development and management.
- Geophysical study: The geophysical study will apply non-invasive subsurface investigation techniques to delineate aquifer characteristics and groundwater potential zones. The primary methods will include Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) for depth profiling and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) for two-dimensional imaging of subsurface formations. These methods will be used to determine aquifer depth, thickness, lateral extent, and degree of saturation. Survey locations will be strategically selected based on geological and remote sensing analysis. Data will be processed and interpreted using appropriate inversion software, and results will be integrated with geological and hydrogeological data to produce reliable subsurface models.
- Secondary data will be reviewed from geological and hydrogeological maps, borehole logs and pumping test data, climate and rainfall data, and previous geophysical surveys. Key data sources will include;
- Government agencies
- NGOs and development partners
- FAO SWALIM
The approach will be basin-based, covering the full Togdheer watershed influencing groundwater recharge and flow in Burao.
Water quality tests and analysis will be conducted as per the attached protocol. Key parameters for testing will include; PH, TDS, Salinity, Alkalinity, chloride, Fluoride, hardness, Turbidity, Temperature, Nitrate, E-coli,
- Deliverables
- Inception report
To be delivered two weeks after contract signing with the following contents
- Detailed methodology
- Work plan, survey design, and schedule
- Team composition and equipment deployment
- Study Area Delineation and Survey Design
- Quality Assurance, Risk Management,
- Field Survey/Data Collection Report
- Summary of Field Activities Conducted (Locations, dates, and coverage)
- Water Point Inventory (Boreholes, wells, springs)
- Geological Observations (Lithology, structures, weathering profiles)
- Geophysical Survey Data (Survey points, profiles, and raw measurements (ERT/VES)
- Preliminary Field Findings (Initial observations on groundwater potential zones)
- Data Collection Tools and QA/QC Records (Field forms, calibration records, data validation notes)
- Draft Final Report
• To be submitted on the Eighth week
• Integrated Data Analysis (Synthesis of geological, geophysical, hydrogeological, and GIS data)
• Groundwater Potential Mapping (Classification of high, medium, and low potential zones)
• Aquifer Characterization (Depth, thickness, extent, and productivity)
• Water Quality Assessment (Laboratory results and spatial interpretation)
• Conceptual Hydrogeological Model (Recharge, flow, and discharge mechanisms)
• Preliminary Drilling Site Recommendations (Proposed locations with technical justification)
• Key Findings and Initial Recommendations
The consultant should conduct a comprehensive and integrated analysis of all collected data seeking to understand the catchment area, aquifer dynamics, challenges (natural, socioeconomic etc). This analysis shall serve as basis for drawing recommendations aiming at sustainable water resources management in the study area. The recommendations should include but not limited to strategies to manage and protect the aquifer, water resources use, water quality management, water extraction and aquifer recharge strategies etc
- Final report with recommendations
- To be submitted at the end of the assignment period.
- Comprehensive technical report
- Groundwater Maps and GIS Database
- Geophysical and Hydrogeological Data Sets
- Water Quality Analysis Results
- Recommended Drilling and Development Plan
- Validation workshop report
- Duration
Activity and Duration
Tool development and inception report – 1 to 2 weeks
Fieldwork – 2–3 weeks
Data Analysis – 1–3 weeks
Report writing – 1 week
Validation and final report – 1 week
Total – 10 weeks
The whole exercise is projected to take at most 10 weeks
