Delivering water scarcity solutions for communities in Moyale, Kenya
The Horn of Africa, the mainland’s easternmost region, continues to reel from years of drought and faces an ongoing water scarcity crisis. In Moyale town, competition over limited resources has intensified due to an influx of refugees and the dominance of the livestock market. To address these challenges, UN-Habitat partnered with Arcadis through the Shelter program to develop a study into water scarcity solutions for Moyale’s long-stricken communities.
A town with two sides
The pastoral town of Moyale straddles the border between Ethiopia and Kenya, serving as a key crossroads for migration routes used by pastoralists from both countries. On the Ethiopian side, the population is higher, the trade market is larger, and the cost of living is lower.
Unfortunately, these factors have expanded migration routes and cultivated areas, worsening both security and political tensions. Because of these threats, refugees have been crossing over to the Kenyan side of Moyale, with up to 100,000 more expected to arrive in the coming years. As climate change continues to escalate, competition over scarce natural resources—especially water—has become even more urgent, highlighting the need for practical community water solutions and water scarcity mitigation strategies.
The Shelter mission
Through the Shelter program, UN-Habitat requested Arcadis’ support to assess Moyale’s water demand and availability, and to explore the feasibility of developing new infrastructure for water catchment and harvesting.
Arcadis’ specialists in water management, geographic information systems, engineering, and hydrogeology from the UK, US, Brazil, and the Netherlands volunteered their time to collaborate on the project. The team analyzed the town’s water security challenges, accounting for the expected population growth and future refugee influx. Their study ultimately covered the entire subcounty of Moyale—over 9,000 km² of arid and semi-arid land.
The study’s findings
The team found that the area’s existing water sources—mainly seasonal, small-scale reservoirs—are inadequate for both the urban and pastoralist rural populations. This shortage not only threatens livelihoods but could also accelerate urbanization and intensify water stress.
To promote water scarcity mitigation, the team explored both short- and long-term water scarcity solutions. Among the low-cost options were rooftop catchments and rainwater harvesting systems for urban households, providing additional water supply options for families.
They also proposed deep groundwater development between Moyale town and Odda ward, where extracted groundwater could be transported to support urban water supply. The hills surrounding Moyale offer potential for building sand dams, providing domestic and small-scale irrigation water to supplement existing dams and reservoirs.
Other long-term measures include subsurface dams in the seasonal riverbeds or “lagas,” which would retain shallow groundwater and improve water security. Provided that thorough geophysical investigations are conducted, new boreholes could also be considered. For each proposed measure, the team carefully assessed potential conflicts, sustainability factors, and public health implications.
The path ahead
After more than a year of work, the Shelter mission concluded in March 2022. UN-Habitat hailed the project as a promising step toward water security and a better quality of life for Moyale’s residents.
By clarifying the region’s water scarcity challenges and identifying practical solutions, the study has created a strong foundation for future infrastructure development and long-term community water solutions that can mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Interested in learning more about the Arcadis Shelter program? Visit the Shelter page or contact us at shelter@arcadis.com.