Moyale town is a border town between Kenya and Ethiopia and has an estimated population of approximately 90,000-120,000 people. A gradual increase in population over the years and the dilapidation of the water infrastructure has increased the pressure for water supply within the town.
In January 2012, clan fighting on the Kenyan side prompted 5888 Borana and Gabra households to cross to the Ethiopian side of Moyale, where they were hosted by Borana and Gabra households. This displacement increased the pressure on water and other resources.
Since the onset of the displacements, Oxfam has been working on public health and is also exploring ways to supply water to poorer sections of the community and the displaced population through the existing water market system. The objective of this EMMA was to assess the functionality of the commercial water system in Moyale and investigate various market-based options to increase access to water for vulnerable and displaced households in urban Moyale.
The Moyale water market assessment utilized an adapted version of the EMMA methodology. The assessment did not produce before and after market maps; rather, it just examined the current state of the market and how Oxfam could program better within such a market.
This annex includes
Results of WASH assessment carried out in January 2012
Ethiopia EMMA Terms of Reference
List of locations and respondents for the EMMA
Emma survey tools
Response options
EFSL Assessment Results
The Somali region of Ethiopia is an arid area which suffers from water shortages every year. However, the degree of severity can differ quite markedly from year to year, and the existence of micro-climates within the region means that needs are never uniform. In 2011, the region experienced two consecutive rain failures, resulting in one of the driest years since 1950/51.
Harshin has been identified by FEWSNET as a hot-spot for drought-related activities in 2012 as well. In 2011, Oxfam took on a significant water trucking operation in Harshin woreda to deliver water to some of the most vulnerable and isolated communities. The program was logistically cumbersome and costly, the water did not always reach the targeted beneficiaries, and the price paid for water was higher than the market average.
The rationale for organizing this EMMA was as follows: a) To improve the design of drought responses in the Somali region by defining the most appropriate modality for water provision; b) To build the capacity of WASH practitioners in using the EMMA tool; and c) To identify potential alternatives to water trucking in arid and semi-arid lands. This EMMA study included compared the water market system in Harshin during a normal year (2009), a bad drought year (2011), and the current year (2012).
Key analytical questions focused on availability of and access to water in these different years, the capacity of the commercial water trucking market to provide adequate water supplies during critical times and the different available means of water provision. This was the first opportunity for a WASH team to carry out an EMMA on a critical market such as commercial water trucking.
This assessment was conducted as part of a joint Oxfam, Save the Children and Concern initiative and was used to test out the collection and cohesion of the baseline assessments and the use of this data in the Situation Response Analysis Framework (SRAF) process. The exercise took place in the Siti Zone of the Somali region and focused on the rural pastoralist communities whose livelihoods are regularly affected by cyclical drought spells and conflict over scarce resources.
The assessment focused on the sorghum, rice, and pasta market systems, representing the common staple foods for the rural pastoralist population. The purpose of the assessment was to determine the market systems’ capacities to provide basic food products to the rural pastoralist communities during a severe drought and to judge what types of humanitarian responses might be required and feasible to ensure food security of these people during such a crisis situation.
The assessments of the staple markets revealed that the respective markets in Siti Zone are well integrated. The market actors of the different market systems behave competitively and profit margins at all levels of the market chains appear moderate. All market systems seem to have the capacity to meet the respective needs of the population in Siti Zone – even during a severe drought. All three market systems appear to have some potential to expand their supply. All households met during the assessment reported to be able to access markets. A main concern regarding market access is transport costs, especially for households living in very remote areas.
