The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced on Friday that it had inked a $43.8 million agreement to carry out a project aimed at mitigating drought and lowering the risk of flooding in Somalia.
According to FAO, the goal of the Restoring the Riverine Eco-Systems for Climate Adaptations (RESTORE) project is to repair a sizable irrigation system that serves 1.5 million people in two regions of Hirshabelle State.
Food security in the nation will also be improved by the British-funded project, which is being carried out by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Vision International-Somalia, FAO, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the Somali government.
“This will substantially reduce flood risk, mitigate drought, support local production, and boost food security for millions of populations vulnerable to recurring shocks and crises,” said FAO Representative in Somalia Etienne Peterschmitt in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
The project’s objectives are to lessen poverty, guarantee food security for households, ease conflicts over natural resources, and boost the adaptability of communities that could be negatively impacted by climate change.
The Jowhar Offstream Storage Program (JOSP), which has a budget of 140 million dollars, includes the RESTORE initiative.
Its goals include supporting the restoration of protective and productive infrastructure, encouraging the use of nature-based remedies and climate-resilient strategies, and fostering responsible and efficient governance for the management of natural resources in the JOSP command area.
The FAO claims that more frequent climate-related shocks like drought and flooding are endangering people’s lives and means of subsistence in Somalia.
