Background

Approximately 70% of Somalis are dependent on climate-sensitive agriculture and pastoralism. As floods and droughts become more severe and frequent in Somalia, there is a need to find approaches that can reduce the sensitivity of farmers and pastoralists to increasing rainfall variability. With natural resource degradation also rampant throughout Somalia, most notably for the production of charcoal, Somalia is becoming increasingly vulnerable to conflicts over scarce resources.

Climate change and resource scarcity are exacerbated by the absence of policies on land-use and disaster risk management at the national level. At local levels, communities lack the financial, technical and informational resources needed to build their resilience to climate change as well as the knowledge of how to prepare for extreme weather impacts. Women especially in rural areas are one of the most vulnerable groups in Somalia. Within the women-headed households, women are traditionally responsible for growing food, gathering fuel and water, cooking, and raising children. The division of labour, along with unequal access to both material and non-material resources, and diminished participation for women in decision-making in political and private spheres increases their vulnerability against the impacts of climate change.

Response

To address these issues, LDCF financing will be used to support ministries, districts, NGOs/CBOs to integrate climate change risks in Natural Resource Management and disaster preparedness. Climate risk management will be institutionalized from national to local levels. CBOs will be revitalized to take the lead on implementing community-based Ecosystem-based flood preparedness and other adaptation measures.

To support community-led activities, water will be captured using small scale infrastructure and flood impacts will be reduced with water diversion techniques and reforestation. With 73% of the population under 30 years of age, youth; both boys and girls will be sensitised with climate change knowledge so that they can serve understaffed ministries and support CBO efforts on-the-ground. Furthermore, the project will empower women to market and to scale-up distribution of adaptation technologies, providing women an improved asset base. With such activities aimed to support resilience to climate change, in conjunction with other on-going initiatives of relevance outlined in this project document, LDCF resources are expected to also build governing and planning capacities at the national and district levels and to enhance the adaptive capacity of vulnerable populations throughout Somalia.