Expression of Interest: Consultancy for Groundwater Mapping in Burao, Somaliland

**1. 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.

**2. Objectives**

1. Delineate aquifers and groundwater potential zones
1. Assess aquifer depth, yield, Current and potential aquifer recharge mechanism recharge, and water quality
2. Produce maps and drilling recommendations

**3. Scope of Work**

1. Desk study and data review
1. Field investigations (hydrogeological survey, geophysics, water sampling from existing boreholes)
2. Data analysis and GIS mapping
3. Reporting and validation

**4. Methodology**

Detailed Methodology for Groundwater Mapping

1\. **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