RAF: Resilience Design & Land Tenure Interventions in Jowhar, Hirshabelle

Challenge

Communities in Jowhar District, particularly the riverine villages of Maandheere and Daymasame, face intersecting threats: worsening climate shocks such as flooding and land degradation, and unresolved land tenure disputes that fuel social conflict. Recurrent seasonal flooding undermines agriculture, while a lack of clear land documentation, weak governance, and historical grievances have contributed to land-related violence and displacement. These challenges reduce productivity, weaken social cohesion, and pose long-term barriers to peace and development.

Project Goals

The RAF project aims to enhance climate resilience, promote sustainable agricultural practices, and support inclusive land governance to reduce conflict and restore livelihoods. By integrating environmental restoration with land tenure reform, the project seeks to build a peaceful, adaptive, and self-reliant rural society in Jowhar.

Key Activities

1. Bioengineering-Based Riverbank Reinforcement:
   Over 300 meters of riverbank stabilized using sandbags, perennial vegetation, and indigenous erosion control methods to protect farmland and settlements from floods.

2. Community-Led Flood Emergency Response:
   More than 350 volunteers mobilized during a surprise flood, showcasing social cohesion and grassroots resilience.

3. Resilience Design Agricultural Training:
   50 farmers trained in soil regeneration, water harvesting, composting, crop diversification, and permagarden systems. A demo farm was established as a community learning hub.

4. Land Conflict Mapping & Community Dialogues:
   In-depth consultations and workshops with over 70 stakeholders to map root causes of conflict, including historical grievances and undocumented land ownership.

5. Development of Land Tenure Roadmap:
   A stakeholder-driven plan using the Derisnimo household registration model to promote transparency, neighborly relations, and long-term land security.

Expected Impact

The RAF project has:

• Restored degraded infrastructure and protected communities from future climate shocks

• Strengthened intercommunal collaboration between historically divided groups

• Laid the foundation for inclusive land governance, reducing potential for conflict

• Improved farmers’ adaptive capacity through knowledge transfer and demonstration

• Established a replicable model for integrating climate adaptation with peacebuilding in Somalia

More Details

Project Manager: Abdiqani Dirie | Email

Location: Jowhar District, Hirshabelle State, Somalia

Start Date – End Date: January 2025 – May 2025

Donor(s): IOM Somalia under the JOSP Program

Partner(s): Local government authorities, traditional leaders, youth and women networks