Financing Drought Resilience and Unlocking the Water Wealth of Africa – the Groundwater Access Facility (GAFA) announces USD 2 billion pipeline

January 20, 2025
a group of people posing for the camera

In a joint event on the 3rd of December, 2024, co-hosted by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), at UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, the UNDP Groundwater Access Facility (GAFa) was introduced to national partners, donors, and other stakeholders as a potential response to drought and water scarcity in Africa. These critical challenges particularly affect the arid and semi-arid zones of the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, where over 70% of the population relies on groundwater for domestic, agricultural, and economic needs.  

The session was opened by H.E. Mr. Sultan Al Marshad, Chief Executive Officer of SFD: “For over five decades, the Saudi Fund for Development has proudly supported global development, financing more than 800 projects worldwide. Of these, 256 projects, worth $8 billion, have focused on agriculture, water and sanitation, and energy—key sectors in combating desertification and land degradation. In Africa, and as part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s historic Saudi Well Drilling and Rural Development Program, now in its fifth phase, that is worth $100 million.” 

UNDP Administrator Mr. Achim Steiner announced in his keynote that “the GAFA initiative offers a $2 billion USD ‘pipeline’ of 50 strategic projects aimed at maximizing groundwater potential across eight countries of the IGAD region.” The keynotes were followed by a brief presentation on GAFa by the Director of UNDP Resilience Hub for Africa, Dr. Zeynu Ummer, and a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Ms. Randah Al Hothali, Director General of Corporate Communication. The Panel featured H.E. Mr. Abdullahi Bidham, Minister of Energy and Water Resources of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Mrs. Djami Diallo, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Republic of Guinea, alongside Dr. Issa Faye, Director General of Global Practices and Partnerships at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and Ms. Shaima Al-Sheiby, Vice President of Strategy of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and Mr. Jens Amendt, General Manager of GIZ Branch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

The GAFa was initially launched in 2023 as a multi-partner financing mechanism to address two key pillars: data and evidence generation and the development of an investment pipeline for productive groundwater use. The GAFa initiative has demonstrated significant success in Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, South Sudan and Kenya during its first phase. In mid-2024, its scope expanded through South-South cooperation to include the Sahel region. By fostering regional collaboration and leveraging cutting-edge technologies, GAFa promotes sustainable groundwater management, regional diplomacy and enhanced water security.  

Dr. Issa Faye of IsDB emphasized the growing challenges of drought and water insecurity faced by communities in the Bank’s 57 member countries, particularly in the Horn of Africa and Sahel regions. He noted that the IsDB is actively seeking ways to enhance drought financing to strengthen resilience for those most affected by these shock events. 

During COP16, UNDP Somalia has also announced a project on sustainable groundwater access, for which the Saudi Development Fund has availed USD 2 million. H.E. Mr. Abdullahi Bidham, Minister of Energy and Water Resources of the Federal Republic of Somalia said: “As beneficiaries of such initiatives as Groundwater access facility Somalia can be benefit exploring and producing groundwater from deep aquifers, which could be a game changer, as it can help to ease or reduce the effects of current and future droughts. It is a reliable source of water since it is not dependent on immediate climate changes, and it is a natural storage system that protects water from contamination. An exploration and development of groundwater access must be seen as a long-term investment in the reconstruction of Somali civil society; more water would no doubt speed up the reconstruction process.” 

 

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