Skip to main content
News - 
Global

New IOM and EU Project Targets Somali Communities Affected by Conflict and Climate Change

Mogadishu – A new EUR 6 million agreement between the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the European Union will help populations in Somalia adapt to climate change while addressing conflict arising from competition over increasingly scarce resources.

Erratic weather patterns, including droughts and floods, are intensifying across the country that faces the risk of its fourth consecutive failed rainfall season in the first half of 2022. Deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion and desertification, further exacerbated by poor agricultural and pastoral practices are also leading to the degradation of the environment.

These events are pushing thousands of people out of their homes and increasing the competition over access to grazing land and water each year. Pastoralist and rural communities who depend on natural resources for survival are especially vulnerable.

IOM’s latest Displacement Tracking Matrix analysis shows that deteriorating drought conditions in Somalia could displace over 1 million people by April if urgent action is not taken. 

“Climate change acts as a threat multiplier by exacerbating competition between communities over natural resources and inducing displacement,” said Richard Danziger, IOM Somalia Chief of Mission. 
 
The project will target communities in Galmudug, a state in central Somalia where the adverse impacts of climate change are contributing to the increasing risk of violent conflict.

“This project’s unique approach will not only contribute to the stability of Galmudug, but we hope will also have a positive impact in other parts of the country,” said Danziger.

The consequences of climatic shocks also pose a serious threat to sustaining peace in Somalia, whose populations have suffered over three decades of protracted conflict. 

“Extremist organizations also continue to exploit inter-clan grievances and use the climate crisis to their advantage,” Danziger said.

The IOM-EU project aims to provide lasting solutions to build the resilience of Somali communities and prepare them against climatic shocks. It will also bring stability in an area where communities have historically confronted one another for control over diminishing natural resources.

For 18 months, IOM will promote community-driven solutions aimed at mitigating natural hazards and environmental degradation – two known drivers of forced displacement and conflict – with a particular focus on investments in water access and management. Rural communities in Galmudug will also learn about environmentally sustainable practices and how to mitigate tensions linked to resource distribution.

Throughout the project, IOM will collect data on transhumance movements, and work at the community level to build social cohesion and identify solutions to natural-resource driven conflict.

To alleviate the pressure on natural resources, IOM will construct water harvesting and groundwater infrastructure, among other needs-based infrastructure aimed at improving natural resource management.

IOM has a long track record working with the Government of Somalia to deliver durable solutions to displacement while supporting Somali populations to be at the centre of their recovery amid a changing climate.
 
IOM's Global Crisis Response Platform provides an overview of IOM's planned activities and funding requirements to respond to the evolving needs and aspirations of those impacted by, or at risk of, crisis and displacement. Click to view the 2022 Crisis Response Plan for Somalia. 

The project is funded by the EU through its Global Europe - Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI).

***

For more information, please contact: Claudia Barrios Rosel, Communications Officer, IOM Somalia, Tel: +254 705 832020 Email: cbarrios@iom.int
 

Share this page via:

Related SDGs

SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 13 - Climate Action
SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Regions
Office type
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Asia and the Pacific
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas (The)
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Central African Republic (the)
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros (the)
Congo (the)
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czechia
Democratic Republic of the Congo (the)
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic (the)
East and Horn of Africa
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Europe and Central Asia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia (the)
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Global Office in Brussels
Global Office in Washington
Greece
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
IOM Office at the United Nations
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Iraq
Ireland
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic (the)
Latin America and the Caribbean
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Manila Administrative Centre
Marshall Islands (the)
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia (Federated States of)
Middle East and North Africa
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
New Zealand
Niger (the)
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Norway
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Panama Administrative Centre
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines (the)
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Republic of Korea
Republic of Moldova (the)
Romania
Russian Federation (the)
Rwanda
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Subregional Office in Brussels
Subregional Office in Pretoria
Sudan (the)
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic (the)
Tajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
United Republic of Tanzania (the)
UNSC Resolution 1244-Administered Kosovo
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
Viet Nam
West and Central Africa
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe