'Every living thing': The nexus of cultural and economic values within resilient urban water systems

An interdisciplinary project to strengthen the resilience of urban water systems in Hargeisa, Somaliland.

As urban populations in sub-Saharan Africa expand, creating resilient urban water systems to sustain human health and sanitation is a primary development challenge. This challenge is acute in Somaliland, where rapid urbanization and economic growth create immediate and long-term water stress.

Through a case study of Hargeisa, this project fuses insights from socio-hydrology, water economics and social geography, to explore how economic and cultural values interact with informal water practices to shape urban water access. The project is led by an interdisciplinary team of Cardiff Univeristy researchers: Dr Richard Gale, Dr Adrian Healy and Prof Alison Brown from the School of Geography and Planning and Prof Max Munday from Cardiff Business School.

Researchers are working closely with Somaliland organisations, including the Ministry of Water Resources, Somaliland Government, Hargeisa Water Authority, Gollis University and the University of Hargeisa to strengthen the resilience of urban water supplies and secure affordable access to safe water for all.