Water Quality Under Threat: Evaluating Watershed-Scale Risks in the Jubba River at Bardere, Somalia
Ikram Barkadle, MLWS 2025
This study assesses the risks to water quality and access in Bardere, Somalia, through a watershed-scale lens using secondary data and informal community insights. Findings reveal a heavy reliance on untreated surface water from the Jubba River, the absence of reliable groundwater alternatives, and widespread challenges related to seasonal flooding, drought, and institutional gaps. The most vulnerable groups, such as displaced persons, low-income families, and women, face disproportionate barriers to safe water. Community members expressed strong awareness of health risks and described lived challenges such as unreliable piped supplies, dependence on untreated river water, and illness after floods. They also proposed practical improvements, including expanding chlorine treatment, repairing damaged infrastructure, and promoting better hygiene and water storage practices. Based on this evidence, the study recommends a combination of short-term and long-term actions, including household chlorination, in-situ treatment systems, community-led water monitoring, and expansion of piped infrastructure. These recommendations aim to protect public health, reduce inequalities, and build locally grounded resilience in the face of growing environmental stress.
