Overview
Somalia’s WASH sector faces systemic challenges: ageing and inadequate
water supply infrastructure, fragmented service delivery, unsustainable tariff
structures, and insufficient national technical guidelines. UNICEF Somalia
engaged SETAC to develop a comprehensive national WASH Road Map —
a strategic framework that would provide the analytical and planning
foundation for UNICEF’s WASH investments in Somalia over the medium
term. This was a high-complexity, data-intensive consultancy requiring both
technical engineering depth and strong policy understanding.
SETAC’s team conducted a nationwide assessment of existing water
supply networks, evaluating infrastructure conditions, service delivery
models, and operational management arrangements across Somalia’s
regions. Water tariff structures were analysed and benchmarked,
sustainability criteria were established, and technical guidelines were
developed for the design, construction, and operation of WASH
infrastructure aligned with Somalia’s national water sector goals. The
completed WASH Road Map provides UNICEF with an evidence-based
framework that ensures new infrastructure investments are planned
coherently, consistently, and sustainably.
THE CHALLENGE
Developing a credible, evidence-based national WASH Road Map for
Somalia — a country with fragmented data, multiple autonomous
administrations, and significant geographic diversity — required extensive
field data collection, careful stakeholder engagement, and the ability to
synthesise complex technical and institutional information into practical,
actionable guidance. SETAC’s national presence and established
relationships with Somalia’s water sector institutions were essential to
securing the data and stakeholder input required for a credible road map.