ADOPTING A FRAMEWORK FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IN WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE PROGRAMMING IN SOMALIA

Abstract

Drought related disasters in Somalia have a long history of causing armed conflicts, leading to loss of life, and exposing communities to cyclic poverty. Though these communities have lived here for many years, there is strong evidence that climate change and variability is directly impacting on the hydrological cycle, eroded the coping capacity and aggravated the risk for weather induced hazards like drought and floods. The consequences of prolonged drought have had both macro and micro economic level impacts including severe water shortages in pastoral and agro-pastoral areas, inadequate pasture leading to worsening body conditions of livestock and consequently reduced market prospects and incomes for pastoralist and agro-pastoralists, crop failure, malnutrition amongst children and women, migration and disease outbreaks among others. Again, there has not been a systematic analysis of the root causes which has led to lack of a sustainable solution.