GULF OF ADEN DRAINAGE BASIN

General Description of the Gulf of Aden Drainage Basin

The Gulf of Aden basin, situated in the northern parts

of Somalia, covers the areas drained by the small
wadis and toggas that originate from the gently
sloping plateau and passes through the mountain
range extending in an east-west direction. The
drainage area covered by these small seasonal
streams, collectively known as the Gulf of Aden
basin, is about 74,422 km2 (based on the 90 m SRTM
DEM data).
• The drainage area is spread over five
administrative regions - Awdal, West Galbeed,
Togdheer, Sanaag and Bari. The drainage area
lies roughly between 42o 42’ and 51o 22’ East
and between 9o 28’ and 12o 1’ North.
• The elevation varies from sea level in the
coastal areas to over 2000 m a.s.l in the
mountain ranges that extend from the east to
the west of the basin.
Climate of the Gulf of Aden Drainage
Basin
• The climate in this basin is mostly arid and
semi-arid. This area receives an average of 500
to 600 mm of rainfall annually.
• Potential Evapotranspiration (PET) ranges from
about 2700 to 3000 mm per annum in the
north-east coastal regions (Alula and Berbera)
whereas it is only 1460 to 1630 mm per annum
inland.
• The rate of evaporation is generally higher
than rainfall throughout the year (figure 3).
 Point water sources in the basin
• The point water sources in the basin are used for
both human and livestock and sometimes for
irrigated agriculture.
• Of the 492 water points identified 58% are dug
wells (figure 6). This is the majority water point
type in the basin. Dug wells are always preferred to
boreholes because they are cheaper, easy to
maintain and the water level is less deep. The dug
wells in the catchment have a depth
• of up to 30 m and are multipurpose owing to
their relative good quality. Springs are also
common and comprises of 24 %. The springs
are located all over the basin.
• These are permanent natural point water
sources. In some cases the local community
protect the springs by building a cover over
the well and trapping the water through a
pipe. This is
• recommended to prevent the water from
contamination.
• 12% of them are boreholes. This is a smaller
percentage even though the water quality from
• boreholes is always preferable over that of other
well types. Boreholes are expensive to drill
• and maintain. Most boreholes depths range from
26 t 50 m while there are few that more than
• 100 m deep.
Water resources maps of Gulf of Aden basin
 Geologic formation of the basin
• The Gulf of Aden drainage basin is mainly
made up of sedimentary rocks comprising of
limestone, sandstone and evaporatic rocks.
Small patches of metamorphic and igneous
rocks of the Precambrian and Palaeozoic age
exists in the western parts of the basin.
• About 65km west of Berbera there are
extensive high dunes (8km wide) of loose sand
that are the most desert like in the Gulf of Aden
basin. These sands are derived from cretaceous
sandstone, which are locally up to 1700m thick
(Abate et al 1993). 92 % of the underlying rock
is classified as undifferentiated unconsolidated
sediments.
• Groundwater is stored in a wide range of rock
types, from crystalline basement rocks that
store small quantities of water in fractures and
faults, to alluvial sediments with variable
depths that may contain huge volumes of
water. Potentially productive aquifers occur
extensively throughout Somaliland with
varying characteristics.
 Aquifer systems and groundwater
resources
• Areas with groundwater potential considering
their water quality and aquifer depth are
classified as below:
i. Areas with fair to good water quality and well
depths ranging from shallow to moderate
located in the sand dunes in the central coastal
belt, northern coastal regions, along the
streams in the mountainous areas and sloping
escarpment of Somaliland specially along the
Gulf of Aden.