The Horn of Africa- Groundwater for Resilience Project (HoAGW4R) is a World Bank funded project in collaboration with Cooperation in International Waters in Africa (CIWA), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Kenya’s Ministry of Water, Sanitation & Irrigation and State Agencies including WRA, WSTF and Regional Centre for Groundwater Resources, Education, Training and Research. The overarching objective of the project is to increase the sustainable access and management of groundwater in the Horn of Africa borderlands. The project focuses on interventions in aquifer systems with regional and transboundary implications in the Kenya ASAL areas and drought affected communities within the North and North Eastern Development Initiative (NEDI) counties namely; Turkana, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir and Garissa bordering Ethiopia and Somalia. The program will be implemented through four components and Water Resources Authority will be implementing some components.
The Water Resources Authority will be the implementing Agency to undertake two subcomponents in the project
Subcomponent 1A: Development of nature-based solutions for strengthening conservation, sustainable use, and recharge of the seven NEDI aquifers
- Establishment, mobilization, and capacity building of WRUAs covering the selected NEDI aquifers areas.
- Implementation and Preparation of Sub-catchment management plans by WRUAs.
- Protection of aquifer recharge zones through gazettement and investments in Nature-Based infrastructure to be handed over to WRUAs.
- Conservation activities by the communities including conservation friendly livelihoods activities (including but not exclusive to growing pastures, beading, beekeeping) and tree growing.
Outcomes under sub-component 1A include:
- Managed aquifer recharge infrastructure includes but not exclusive to Berkads, Water pans, Sub-surface dams, Sand dams, Djabias, infiltration ponds/ galleries, channel spreading, barriers, bunds, trenches
- Gazettement of groundwater recharge areas (groundwater conservation areas)
- Conservation activities by the communities including conservation friendly livelihoods activities (including but not exclusive to growing pastures, beading, beekeeping) and tree growing.
Subcomponent 2B: Groundwater and Drought Information Enhancement
- Aquifer Assessments, Development and Management plans (AAD&MP) for selected aquifers in NEDI, and management plans of Nakuru and Nairobi aquifers, along with the exploration wells for these aquifers.
- Establishing a monitoring network in the selected aquifers of NEDI and linking these to the upgraded Groundwater Management Information System.
The outcomes under subcomponent 2B among others are:
- Data for groundwater resources decision making that will come from assessments of the seven aquifers
- Development plans for the aquifer (masterplan for how the aquifers will be used)
- Management plans (measures on how the aquifer is conserved and protected securing the water resources for the future)
- About 60 exploratory boreholes (part of assessment but if productive they will be equipped for water supply)
- About 60 monitoring wells that will provide real time data on groundwater well levels
- A platform for groundwater sharing that will consist of a Groundwater information system that will host a groundwater database with provision for a mobile app for data input into the database.
The HoAGW4R Project aims to enhance sustainable access to and management of groundwater resources in the borderlands of the Horn of Africa. The Water Resources Authority (WRA), as the regulator responsible for water resource management and use in the country, is one of the project’s implementing institutions. Integral to the HoAGW4RP is the Grievance Mechanism (GM), which has been designed to address project-related concerns and complaints in a prompt and efficient manner.
Types of grievances
The GM aims to facilitate an open and accessible process for affected parties, such as individuals, Water Resources Users Associations, contractors, staff or organizations, to express their grievances regarding any aspect of the project.
Potential complaints include:
- Selection of sites for project interventions
- Involuntary resettlement and compensation
- Fairness in contracting
- Fraud or corruption issues
- Inclusion
- Environmental and Social impacts
- Payment-related complaints
- Quality of service issues
- Poor use of funds
- Workers’ rights
- Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEAH) and sexual harassment
- Forced labour, including human trafficking and use of prison labour
- Child labour and
- Threats to personal or communal safety.
The project-level grievance mechanism (GM) is central to risk mitigation efforts and will help manage grievances from communities or by parties who feel that they are or will be adversely affected by the program. The project-level GM serves as an avenue for communities to channel their concerns. The team is cognizant about the need to support the clients to establish an accessible, effective and efficient GM with the capacity to receive and respond timely to grievances in the local languages
For Grievances find step by step procedure below:
2. OR Email ([email protected])
3. OR In-person (walk in to our Offices )
4. OR Fill in the complaints form attached and submit Here
The addresses for our regional Offices are as below:
The complaints will be logged into the Grievance Management register, acknowledged within specified timeframe, reviewed and response provided/remedial measures taken, monitored and reported.
For more Information download the brochure below:
The Program will apply the World Bank Procurement Regulations. The procurements under the Program are not expected to involve highly complex procurement activities. Most of the activities are consultancy services, and moderate value works contracts and supply of goods. The Terms of Reference are to be made available on this folder