Context
Access to the natural resources water and soil is critical for food security and economic development in Somalia. The Shabelle river basin is vital to future stability and economic improvement as the country moves away from years of internal conflict. The basin is a major part of Somalia’s breadbasket and contributes 70 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). Due to the alternate droughts and floods experienced over the past years, there is an unstable security situation in the catchment, with access to natural resources heavily contested by various interest groups. National and sub-state institutions are fragile. There is structural weakness in terms of technical competence, and water institutions have restricted capacity to practice the sustainable management of water resources or to rehabilitate agriculture. To address the challenges above, framework conditions must be improved. This means consolidating institutions as well as training and qualifying personnel. A sector analysis should help develop instruments such as water monitoring and integrated water resource management.
Objective
Sustainable management of water resources in the Somali part of the Shabelle catchment is improved.
Approach
The project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), aims to develop the sustainable management of water resources in Somalia at state and sub-state levels. The project works closely with the Somali Federal Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MoEWR) to create the institutional and technical framework conditions required to pilot measures that will promote effective water use and management. Partnerships are formed with local NGOs and civil society. There are both long- and short-term collaborations with international and regional experts, and funding is provided.
Last update: June 2021