Work Order 11
Mapping and prioritising needs for additional water supply in
Douda, Djibouti
Context and Justification
Djibouti is characterised by a hot to very hot, semiarid climate and is one of the most water scarce
countries of the world. Drinking water is rationed and expensive and water for irrigation is not
available in sufficient quantities and its quality is deteriorating.
To support the country in meeting the Millennium Development Goals and facing the most immediate
challenges related to water and sanitation, the EU has funded among other actions an “Integrated
Investment Programme for Water Sanitation and Solid Waste Management” (9th EDF; 17,7 mio
EUR). The Water Sanitation component envisages the improvement and extension of the existing
sewerage system as well as the construction of a waste water treatment plant (WWTP) serving the
city of Djibouti and designed to reclaim waste water to a level that it can be safely recycled for
irrigation. This plant, located in the suburbs of the city of Douda, will be operational by 2013
(summer).
The growing population puts considerable pressure on the renewable groundwater resources of the
city with, as a result, increasingly widespread coastal saline intrusion into the aquifer. At the same
time, Djibouti is experiencing a steadily decreasing rainfall with drought periods that last longer and
occur more frequently. Also the air temperatures are raising leading to increased levels of
evapotranspiration. These phenomena are affecting agricultural and horticultural production and
ultimately leading to increased food insecurity in the country.
Given the obvious link between climate change and increased water scarcity in the country, the EU
Delegation in Djibouti has contacted the GCCA for additional support, particularly for complementing
ongoing investments at Douda. The planned GCCA intervention will develop an appropriate water
reuse scheme making optimal use of the reclaimed water resources generated by the WWTP in
Douda, thus aiming at an increased resilience to climate change amongst the local population.
A GCCA identification mission was organised in April 2012. The priority activity areas for the new
project were discussed during a workshop at Douda. It was then confirmed that the main application
of the water reuse scheme should be for the irrigation of horticultural gardens and agro-sylvo-pastoral
systems in the surroundings of the WWTP. The reclaimed water will also be used for environmental
and industrial purposes, to rehabilitate coastal marshes into a nearby Nature Reserve and to cover
the demand of a nearby solid waste and recycling centre, also financed by the EU.
In view of an efficient start of the activities under the future GCCA project, the identification team
highlighted the need for a preliminary study and it is this study that forms the subject of the present
Work Order 11. It basically concerns the development of the plans for the water reuse scheme of
Douda. Calling upon the technical assistance services available under the Climate Support Facility of
the Intra-ACP GCCA programme for the required study, seems the most logical choice. It provides a
meaningful case of synergy between the ENRTP GCCA and the Intra-ACP GCCA programme.
Djibouti is an ACP Member State, classified as a Least Developed Country, and the services to be
provided are fully in line with the GCCA priority of “adaptation to the adverse effects of climate
change”.
Description of the Assignment
Objectives:
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General objective: To contribute to poverty reduction in the region of Douda by assisting the
local population in adapting to reduced rainfall and increased scarcity of water.
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Specific objective: To develop the reclaimed water distribution plans of the WWTP Douda's
water reuse project.
Specific tasks:
1. Review relevant documents, e.g. on the EDF-funded “Integrated Investment Programme for
Water Sanitation and Solid Waste Management” as well as the Project Identification Fiche
submitted to GCCA.
2. Consult relevant stakeholders (see annex 1). In an early stage, practical collaboration
arrangements must be concluded with 1) the institutions concerned with the land use
mapping and the design of the reclaimed water distribution system and 2) with the Douda
Agricultural Cooperative, for the identification of their needs (in terms of water and compost).
3. Conduct site visits, including interviews of the actors in the area that are eligible to benefit
from the new water supply system; e.g. the farmers cultivating the gardens of the cooperative,
staff working at the greenhouses of SDSA and staff of the Nature Reserve Decan.
4. Based on the analysis of the collected information and land use in Douda, map the current
cultivation areas and the potential for further developments, taking into account the quantity
and quality of the water reclaimed by the WWTP, the soil conditions and socio-economic
factors. Due to the competing water uses, it will be necessary to develop a prioritisation
system which will be based on two criteria: (1) the potential to mitigate adverse climate
change effects and (2) the potential to reduce poverty. Present and discuss the proposal with
the main stakeholders.
5. Design a system for the distribution of the reclaimed water to the priority beneficiaries
identified (Cooperative, SDSA, Nature Reserve Decan, others to be identified). All technical
and financial aspects of the proposed system need to be covered. The design of the system
will be done in partnership with the line ministries in charge of agriculture and environment.
Present and discuss the proposal with the main stakeholders.
6. Assist the Agricultural Cooperative of Douda with the identification and formulation of their
needs in terms of irrigation and training in areas related to CC adaptation, salinisation and
water management.
Outputs to be delivered:
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Feasibility study - maps and plans resulting from activities 4 and 5.
Descriptive document of the proposed water distribution system (activity 5).
Document with the identified needs of the Agricultural Cooperative (activity 6).
Mission report, including at least the activities carried out, problems and issues experienced,
conclusions, mission programme, minutes of meetings and workshops conducted, people
consulted. The outputs mentioned above will be attached to the mission report as annexes.
The outputs will have to be delivered in French, the working language of the assignment.
Organisational and Methodological issues
Place: Home-based and Djibouti
Duration & Indicative Planning:
The assignment should start as soon as possible.
The overall implementation period of the assignment (from starting date to debriefing) should not
exceed 2 calendar months.
Home-based preparatory phase: 2 working days
The preparatory phase will be used for the revision of available documents, e.g. on the EDFfunded “Integrated Investment Programme for Water Sanitation and Solid Waste
Management”. In due time, the contact person at the EUD will forward electronic copies of
relevant documents to the consultant. Further, the various stakeholders will be contacted to
fix meetings and appointments and a preliminary work programme for the field phase will be
developed for discussion during the briefing meeting in Djibouti.
In-country (Djibouti): 16 working days
Upon arrival, a briefing meeting will be organised by the EU Delegation in Djibouti and the
consultant will be introduced to the main partners.
The first week in Djibouti will mainly be dedicated to gathering the required information
through field visits, interviews with relevant stakeholders (listed in Annex 1), and additional
literature.
Following analysis of the collected information, the consultant will start the mapping tasks and
develop the best scenario for distributing the water from the STEP. The main beneficiaries of
the future water supply system are the Douda Agricultural Cooperative, the Nature Reserve
Decan and SDSA.
The identification of needs at the Agricultural Cooperative is a task related to but not entirely
limited to the issue of water supply. The management and the members of the Cooperative
will be the lead actors; the consultant will assume the role of facilitator and assist in the
elaboration of a document. As specified above, the scope of the needs analysis is limited to
irrigation and training needs in areas related to CC adaptation, salinisation and water
management. The idea is that the GCCA project which will be formulated on the basis of this
feasibility study, addresses most of the needs identified.
For the mapping, the GIS software ARC.GIS and AUTOCAD will be used.
At the very end of the mission, the EU Delegation will organise a debriefing meeting for the
main stakeholders to inform them on the outcomes of the mission.
Throughout the mission implementation, the consultant will keep the EUD informed on
progress.
The consultant will follow a work schedule of five days per week, defined as follows: working
days from Sunday to Thursday; holiday on Friday and day off on Saturday.
Report writing (home-based) and debriefing (Brussels): 4 working days
Back home, the consultant will produce a mission report as specified above (outputs).
Debriefing with the ACP Secretariat will take place after submission of the mission report and
in consultation with the secretariat. If the CSF consultant is based outside Belgium, debriefing
will be done by telephone or skype.
International travel: 2 working days
Inputs required
1. To be provided by the Climate Support Facility
CSF consultant (category “non-key junior experts”): 24 working days; one return ticket to
Djibouti; per diems (24 x Djibouti) (186EUR/day)
Consultant’s profile:
 Academic background in agronomy, agricultural engineering, agro-economy or
geography/land use, with specialisation in irrigation or water management
 At least 3 years of relevant professional experience
 Proven experience in using GIS tools and familiar with ARC.GIS and AUTOCAD
 Experience in the implementation of at least 1 project in water reclamation, recycling
and reuse
 Africa experience is an advantage
 Proficient in French (speaking and writing ) – working language
2. To be provided by the Beneficiary:
Transport (vehicle, fuel, driver) for travelling outside Djibouti City; relevant contacts and
documents; local staff to accompany the consultant; briefing and debriefing sessions will be
organised by the EUD.
Annex 1: List of Stakeholders to be consulted
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Agence Djiboutienne de Développement Social (ADDS)
Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
Centre de formation Agricole de Damerjog
Collectivités territoriales de Douda et de Damerjog
Cooperative Agricole de Douda
Ministère de l'Agriculture, de la Pêche, de l'Elevage et des Ressources Halieutiques)
Ministère de l’Energie, de l’Eau et des Ressources Naturelles (MEERN)
Ministère de l’Habitat, de l’Urbanisme et de l’Environnement (MHUE)
Office National de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement de Djibouti (ONEAD)
Centre d’Etudes et de Recherche de Djibouti (CERD)
Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’Alimentation et l’Agriculture (FAO)
Refuge Decan (Nature Reserve)
Société Djiboutienne de Sécurité Alimentaire (SDSA)
Stéreau (contractor of the construction of the waste water treatment plant).