Floods are a common phenomenon in the riverine areas of the Juba and Shabelle River basin. The two rivers exhibit seasonal characteristics in their hydrological regime with high tendency of flooding especially during the Deyr (October to November) rain season. Some of the major flood events in the two basins in the past few decades occurred in the years 1961, 1977, 1981, 1997 and 2006. The floods are mainly caused by high rains experienced on the upper catchments of the two rivers in the Ethiopian highlands. However, the contribution of human activities to the floods is also significant, with the riparian farmers cutting the river banks to allow water flow into their fields during low flows. These illegal activities have increased after collapse of the central government in 1991 and exacerbated by El Nino 1997/98 rains that contributed to further destruction of the irrigation and flood control infrastructure.

Fatahaaddu waa arrin caadi ka ah gudaha dhulka ku hareeraysan dooxada Webiyada Juba iyo Shabeelle. Labada webi waxay muujiyaan astaamo xilliile marka la eegayo qululkooda (their hydrological regime) oo si xoog leh u janjeera fatahid gaar ahaan inta lagu jiro xilli roobaadka Deyrta (Oktoobar ilaa Nofeembar). Qaar ka mid ah dhacdooyinka daadadka waaweyn ee labada dooxo waxay dhaceen dhowr tobnaad sano oo la soo dhaafay 1961, 1977, 1981, 1997 iyo 2006. Fatahaadda webiyada waxaa badanaa sababa roobab badan oo ka da’a biyo-qabadyada sare ee labada webi oo ku yaal gudaha dhulka sare ee Itoobiya. Si kastaba ha ahaatee, waxaa sidoo kale xoog leh ka qayb qaadashada hawlo aadamaha ee daadadka, iyadoo beeralayda dagan dacaallada webiga ay gebiyada dhirta ka jaraan si ay ugu sahlanaato in biyahu u qulqulaan xagga gudaha beerahooda marka socodka biyuhu yaraadaan. Hawlahaan sharcidarada ah waxay kordheen ka dib markii ay burburtay dawladdii dhexe sanadkii 1991 waxaana sii xumeeyay roobabka El Nino 1997/98 oo ka qeyb qaatay burbur dheeraad ah oo ku dhacay kaabayaasha waraabka iyo xakamaynta fatahaadda.

Somalia’s surface water resources are concentrated mainly along the two perennial rivers, Juba and Shabelle. The flow in both rivers varies widely across the seasons. During the two rainy seasons, Deyr and Gu, the rivers often flood from very high flows, whereas in the dry season, flow is very minimal and can barely support irrigation. The riverine areas of the Juba and Shabelle occupy a small percentage of the Somalia’s territory. Majority of the country falls under arid and semi arid climatic conditions with very limited surface water resources. Domestic and commercial water needs in such areas are usually met through underground water sources.

Khayraadka biyaha dusha Soomaaliya waxay ku uruursan yihiin inta badan jiidda labada webi ee joogtada ah, Juba iyo Shabelle. Socodka labada webi si weyn ayuu u kala duwan yahay xilliyada dhexdooda. Inta lagu guda jiro labada xilli roobaad, Deyr iyo Gu, webiyadu badanaa waa fatahaan marka qulqulku uu aad u sareeyo, halka markii xilligu qalayl yahay, qulqulku waa wax aad u yar oo si dirqi ah ayuu u taageeraa waraabka. Dhulka dacallada webiyada Jubba iyo Shabelle wuxuu ku fadhiyaa tiro yar boqolkiiba marka loo eego dhulka dalka Soomaaliya oo idil. Aqlabiyadda dalku waxay ku sugan tahay xaalado cimilo oomane iyo bar-oomane ah oo khayraadka biyaha dusha ay aad u yar yihiin. Baahiyaha biyaha hooy iyo ganacsiyeedba ee meelahaas oo kale waxaa sida caadiga ah lagu haqabtiraa biyo laga helo ilaha biyaha dhul-hoose.

Addressing issues of natural resources requires a holistic approach that recognizes the interdependence between competing demands and limited resources. Integrated watershed management is recognized as the best instrument for dealing with water and natural resources. This would also contribute to the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger (MDG 1) through improved food security (main focus of FAO) and sustainable environmental management (MDG 7). To enable start a process of integrated water resources management in Northern Somalia, the Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) project has been mandated by the European Union (EU) to develop an inventory of the drainage basins of the area. A great percentage of the Somalia population relies directly on the natural resource base to meet their daily needs.

Wax ka qabashada arrimaha khayraadka dabiiciga waxay u baahan tahay habraac guud oo aqoonsan isku tiirsanaan ka dhexaysa dalabaad tartamaya iyo khayraadka kooban. Waxa la ogaaday in maareyn biyo-rog oo isku dhafan ay tahay aaladda ugu fiican ee lagula tacaalo biyaha iyo khayraadka dabiiciga. Tani waxay sidoo kale gacan ka geysan karilahayd dabargoynta saboolnimada ba'an iyo gaajada (MDG 1) iyada oo loo marayo hagaagin sugnaan cunto (FAO si weyn ayey diirad u saartaa) iyo maareyn deegaameed raandhiis leh (MDG 7). Si ay u suurogasho bilaw geedi-socod maareyn khayraad biyo oo isku dhafan gudaha waqqooyiga Soomaaliya, mashruuca Macluumaadka Maareynta Biyaha iyo Dhulka Soomaaliya (SWALIM) ayaa Midowga Yurub (EU) wuxuu u xilsaaray si ay hirgeliso diiwaangelinta dooxooyinka marin-biyoodka. Tiro-boqolle aad u badan oo dadweynaha Soomaaliya ka mid ah ayaa wuxuu toos ugu tiirsan khayraadka dabiiciga aasaasiga ah oo ay u daboolaan baahiyahooda nolol maalmeed.

Ujeedada ugu weyn ee hawsha khariidadayntu waxay ahayd in la qiimeeyo horumarka laga sameeyey waaxda biyaha marka la eego daboolidda adeegyada biyaha iyo kororka tirada ka-faa'iideystayaasha loogu adeegay barnaamijka UNICEF ee ay EC maalgelisay. Warbixinta ayaa qoraysaa natiijooyinka waxqabadyada waqtigii 2005 ilaa 2009 ee uu jirey barnaamijka “Maareynta Kheyraadka Biyaha Isku dhafan iyo Biyaha Miyiga iyo Barnaamijka Fayadhowrka gudaha Soomaaliya” (Integrated Water Resource Management and Rural Water and Sanitation Programme in Somalia). SWALIM waxay fulisay hawsha khariidadaynta oo ay UNICEF codsatay. Wax soosaarada macluumaad ee hawsha waxaa ka mid ah khariidado muujinaya horumar sanadle ah, khariidado goboleed ee waxqabadyo miyi iyo khariidado hab biyogelin ee magaalooyinka waaweyn.

The major objective of the mapping exercise was to evaluate progress made in the water sector in terms of coverage of water services and increase in number of benefi ciaries served through UNICEF’s EC funded programme. The report documents the results of interventions for the period 2005 to 2009 under the programme “Integrated Water Resource Management and Rural Water and Sanitation Programme in Somalia”. SWALIM carried out the mapping exercise at the request of UNICEF. The information products from the exercise include maps showing annual progress, regional maps for rural interventions and water supply system maps for major towns.

The alluvial plains of the two Somali perennial rivers, the Shebelle and Juba Rivers, have been and could be the breadbasket of Somalia. They have considerable potential for irrigation development. The civil war in the last two decades has however taken a severe toll on the institutions and infrastructure necessary to manage the water resources of the two rivers that is the lifeline of Southern Somalia. Flooding is now a frequent problem in the riverine areas and sometimes it takes the proportion of a catastrophic natural disaster, like in the 2006 Deyr rainy season. Natural flood plains have been encroached and the embankments have been cut to divert water during the dry season for irrigation purposes. The barrages and canals that were used to irrigate vast areas are now dysfunctional. Efforts are underway to prepare an integrated flood management plan and also to rehabilitate the irrigation facilities and revive the agricultural sector. These efforts are hampered by lack of knowledge of river basin behaviour in terms of hydrology, hydraulics, sedimentation, etc. and, lack of public institutions responsible for implementing sound river basin management measures.

Banaanada dhoobeyda labada Webi ee joogtada u qulqula Soomaaliya, Webiyada Shabeelle iyo Juba, waxay ahaayeen oo ay noqon karaan dambiisha-kibista Soomaaliya. Waxay leeyihiin fursad horumarin waraab oo waaweyn. Si kastaba ha ahaatee dagaalkii sokeeye ee labaatameeyada sano ee la soo dhaafay wuxuu burbur ba’an u geystay hay'ado iyo kaabayaal lagama maarmaan ah si loo maareeyo khayraadka biyaha labada webi taas oo ah waa tubta nolosha ee Koonfurta Soomaaliya. Hadda fatahaaddu waa dhibaato ku soo noqnoqota gudaha dhulka webiyada oo mararka qaar gaarta xaddi musiibo dabiici ah, sida xilli roobaadkii Deyrta ee 2006. Bannaano dhoobey dabiiciyeed ah ayaa loo soo gudbay oo gabiyada webiga ayaa la gooyay si biyo loogu leexsado iyadoo loola jeedo waraab xilliga engegan. Biyoxireennada iyo kanaalada ayaa loo isticmaalayey in loogu waraabiyo bed dhul ballaaran oo aan hadda lagu shaqeynin. Dadaallo ayaa socda si loo diyaariyo qorshe maareyn fatahaad oo isku dhafan iyo sidoo kale in la dib loo hagaajiyo kaabayaasha waraabka oo in la soo nooleeyo waaxda beeraha. Dadaaladan waxaa hakiyey aqoon la'aan ah xagga dabeecadda dooxada webiga marka la eego xaalka Hydrology, hydraulics, carro-degid, iwm iyo, jiritaan la'aanta hay'ado dawladeed oo ka mas'uul ah hirgelinta tallaabooyin maareyn habboon ee dooxada webiga.