Enabling future investments and planning in support of Somalia’s climate adaptation (043)

Country: Somalia

Context

Enabling future investments and planning in support of Somalia’s climate adaptation efforts

Somalia has an estimated population of about 16 million, with 80 percent of the population being youth. Roughly 60 percent of the population are nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralists and 60 percent live in rural areas. Somalia continues to grapple with a fragile political system, insecurity, high levels of poverty, and climate change-related shocks coupled with the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The latter resulted in a GDP reduction by 1.5% in 2020 compared to the 2.9% growth experienced in 2019. The country has little historical or current responsibility for global climate change in terms of emissions, but suffers disproportionately from the climate crisis. Climate change-related droughts, intermittent floods and desert locust infestation results in loss of livestock and agricultural production, which account for more than 70% of GDP while employing millions directly and indirectly.

Goal: Through the adaptation contribution of the country’s NDC, Somalia aims to enhance its adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change through mainstreaming climate adaptation within the country’s sustainable development efforts. Priority sectors for adaptation include agriculture, water resources management, public health, disaster preparedness, coastal and marine environments, fisheries, energy, forestry, human settlements, and infrastructure such as roads and bridges. 

CAA Technical Assistance (TA)

Through the support of the Canadian Experts Climate Risk Institute, the TA aims to :

• Enhance access to additional financial resources for Somalia to fulfill its commitments. This hinges on improving the capacity to effectively mobilize and allocate funds for climate adaptation and mitigation activities. 
• Develop a National Climate Finance Strategy for Somalia to enable future investments to support implementation, while ensuring the most effective and impactful use of resources. 
• Contribute to the UNFCC Gender Action Plan’s priority area on gender balance, participation and women’s leadership and aims to promote gender-responsive project design, enhance capacity, and build partnerships for inclusive climate finance.
• Support is needed for comprehensive gender analysis and capacity building for Somalian stakeholders to mainstream gender in climate actions.
• The initiative also aims to bolster women’s leadership, particularly by supporting the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, one of the few women in Somalia’s Federal Cabinet.