(Extract from the introduction)brThe main objective of the hydrogeological appraisal was to determine whether the potable water demand of the proposed settlements could be supplied from groundwater sources. Further objectives were to determine the best methods of groundwater abstraction and evaluate the costs of any necessary installations. The main problem with attaining these objectives has been the weakness of the existing data base. Thus, though some work relevant to the hydrogeology of the region had been done in the past, much of the data appears to have been lost. Particular examples of this are the boreholes drilled by the Russians, for which all records seem untraceable. Further, even such scant data as exists has never been systematically analysed and compiled. The approach of this study has been to collect all the published informationparticularly the various development reports, to interview the personnel of various agencies concerned with groundwater work in Somalia and to conduct a field survey to collect geological and hydrogeological data. All this information has been carefully processed and compiled to obtain a regional picture of the groundwater systems. The Project Area itself, for which basically no subsurface data exists, was then viewed within that regional context. The results obtained are not fully conclusive but they are strongly indicative.

(Extract from the summary)The present report describes the methods, findings and conclusions of the soil survey investigations, forming part of the Phase II studies which were carried out in the Homboy Irrigated Settlement Project Area. Chapter 1 gives an account of the general natural and human resources of the area and Chapter 2 describes the soils in more detail, drawing on information gained from the present survey and investigations. The principles and methods employed for arriving at the land suitability classification for the proposed development are described in Chapter 3, along with general guidelines as to suitability for rain fed agriculture. The findings, conclusions and recommendations of this study are presented in the andlsquoSummary and Conclusionsandrsquoat the beginning of the report.

This volume is a revision of the 1954 FAO agricultural paper no.43 including recent legislation and 27 country studies covering some new independent states. Larger investments in water development are increasingly being made in most of these countries. This requires emphasis on legal protection against over-development of water and encouragement of efficient management

The principal objective of the Soil and land classification studies was to evaluate the potential of land for irrigated agriculture. This essential information was required for the associated master planning and feasibility studies of the Janaale-Bulo Mareerta study