DROPSTONE Advisory Services

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

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Laying the Foundations – Strategic Groundwater Development – Hodh El Chargui

15.06.2026

The Geneva Water Hub, as part of its “Water for Peace” initiatives, commissioned DROPSTONE to conduct an exploratory groundwater assessment in the Hodh El Chargui region of eastern Mauritania. The region has faced growing pressure on water resources due to the large influx of refugees fleeing insecurity in neighboring Mali. In this predominantly pastoral area, groundwater is essential for both domestic use and livestock watering. Hodh El Chargui now hosts nearly one-third of Mauritania’s national herd, making access to reliable groundwater supplies both a humanitarian and socio-economic priority. In such a fragile context, water management can either fuel tensions or

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Peace Dividends in Chad

15.06.2026

DROPSTONE supported a peace mediation project implemented by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) in Chad. As in many countries of the Sahel region, conflicts frequently arise between cattle herders and farmers over access to limited natural resources. In Kanem Province, intercommunal fighting led to the destruction or deterioration of numerous water points, preventing both communities from accessing safe drinking water. This situation is particularly alarming given the arid conditions of the Sahara Desert. HD facilitated dialogue between the communities and, through sustained grassroots mediation efforts, helped them reach agreements to peacefully share water supply systems. As part of this

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Groundwater Management & Climate Resilience – Sughd Region, Tajikistan

15.06.2026

In 2023, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) commissioned Dropstone to conduct a scoping study on groundwater management in the Sughd region of northern Tajikistan. The objective was to assess current practices and identify opportunities to strengthen the role of hydrogeology in climate change adaptation strategies. Located in the rapidly growing Fergana Valley, the region increasingly relies on groundwater to support agriculture and drinking water supply. The study reviewed institutional frameworks, technical capacities, and hydrogeological data systems, while engaging with national and regional stakeholders to identify priorities for future support. The assessment highlighted the need to strengthen coordination

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Securing Water Supply for 170,000 People in Maiduguri

15.06.2026

Optimizing the Alhamduri Well Field under complex humanitarian conditions Project Overview Dropstone was mandated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 2021 to assess the groundwater production potential of the Alhamduri Well Field (AWF) in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. The objective was to determine whether the existing groundwater infrastructure could sustainably increase water supply to approximately 160,000 residents, as well as 10,000 internally displaced people who had sought refuge in the city due to the regional conflict involving Boko Haram. With Maiduguri largely isolated from the rest of the country and facing significant security constraints, improving the productivity of

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Migrant Crisis – WASH Emergency Mission – Lesbos, Greece

18.03.2026

On the night of 8 September, 2020, a huge fire broke out in the Moria refugee camp, the largest migrant and asylum seeker camp in Europe. The Swiss Government offered their assistance to the Greek authorities immediately after the incident. The offer was accepted on 9 September, based on which humanitarian experts and material were deployed to the country. As an active member of the Water and Sanitation (WASH) expert group of Swiss Humanitarian Aid (SHA), Patrick Kilchenmann, Director of Dropstone, was called on 10 September and, together with two other experts, deployed for an assessment mission to the island

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Hydrogeological Review – Senegalo-Mauritanian Aquifer

15.06.2026

The Geneva Water Hub has requested early 2019 the expert advice of DROPSTONE to carry out an extensive review of the scientific knowledge related to the Senegalo-Mauritanian Aquifer Basin, in order to prepare a round table with representing members of the four States sharing the same underground waters (Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau). The review consisted in collecting and analysing all existing information related to the hydrogeology of the aquifer, in particular the spatial representation of the water reserves, the water balance (infiltration versus extraction rates), the different uses of the water ressources, the potential for conflict, the location of

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