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W-16 Somalia Flood Forecasting System
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.
Publication Type:
Technical report
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Author:
Corporate Author:
Somalia Water and Land Information Management, Nairobi (Kenya)
W-17 Water Sources Survey Invetory for Central South Somalia
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.
Publication Type:
Technical report
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Author:
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Somalia Water and Land Information Management, Nairobi (Kenya)
W-18 Inventory of Drainage Basins of Northern Somalia
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.
Publication Type:
Technical report
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Author:
Corporate Author:
Somalia Water and Land Information Management, Nairobi (Kenya)
W-19 UNICEF’s Water Interventions Mapping Report (2005-2009)
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.
Publication Type:
Technical report
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SWALIM
W-13 Hydraulic Behaviour of the Juba and Shabelle Rivers
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.
Publication Type:
Technical report
Publication Date:
Author:
Corporate Author:
Somalia Water and Land Information Management, Nairobi (Kenya)
W-14 Analysis of General Climatic Conditions in Somalia in Support of Drought Monitoring
Africa is characterised by extremes of climate both spatially and temporally. Unlike in the temperate zones where growing seasons primarily reflect changes in temperature, Africa's rhythms of life reflect rainfall as the "limiting" factor. Generally, Africa has a wide variety of bimodal climates based around a summer wet season and a winter dry season. In fact, Africa's swings between dry and wet seasons are the most pronounced of any of the continents. Not surprisingly therefore, floods and droughts are a
common feature all over the continent. Due to the high drought vulnerability in most countries in Africa, it is not surprising that the drought hazards easily develop into disasters with serious consequences. The situation seems to be more serious in the Great Horn of Africa (GHA).
Publication Type:
Technical report
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Author:
Corporate Author:
Somalia Water and Land Information Management, Nairobi (Kenya)
L-14 Land Degradation Assessment and a Monitoring Framework in Somalia
In this study, national-level assessment of land degradation was done using time series remote sensing images from 1982 till 2008 and expert opinion about the history of the degradation in Somalia dating back as far as the experts could remember. The objective of the study was to identify potential causes, types, and impacts of land degradation at the national level and to identify local spots for comprehensive assessment. The outputs from this study was envisaged to support policy decisions for combating land degradation at the national level and to give the general guidelines of the sections of the country experiencing severe degradation so that appropriate planning of the national resources could be instituted. The assessment was stratified according to land use systems units in the country. In addition to the assessment, the study also established good baseline information for future monitoring of land degradation in Somalia.
Publication Type:
Technical report
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Author:
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Somalia Water and Land Information Management, Nairobi (Kenya)
L-16 Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Modelling and Monitoring of the Areas Between Rivers Juba and Shabelle in Southern Somalia
Soil erosion is a complex dynamic process by which the productive soil surface is detached, transported, and accumulated at a distant place. It produces exposed subsurface where the soil has been detached and the detached deposited in low-lying areas of the landscape or in water bodies downstream in a process known as sedimentation.
The present study by FAO-SWALIM was initiated with the general objective of preparing an assessment of soil erosion and sedimentation of the riverine areas between rivers Juba and Shabelle and to provide input into soil erosion and sedimentation monitoring framework which will contribute to improved management of the irrigation systems in south Somalia. The study identified areas prone to high soil erosion rates and sediment flux into river Juba and Shabelle in south Somalia.
Publication Type:
Technical report
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Author:
Corporate Author:
Somalia Water and Land Information Management, Nairobi (Kenya)
L-12 Land Resources Assessment of Somalia
This report gives an overview of the land resources for the whole country. The
main focus is on the agricultural potential of the country and is expressed
through the delineation and description of agro-ecological zones. It provides a physical land suitability assessment of the two main SWALIM study areas in western Somaliland and southern Somalia, respectively. In addition
it gives a summary of research done in the study area in Puntland, dealing
with the applicability of remote sensing techniques for the assessment of pastoral resources while describing some of the results of the land degradation assessment study done in western Somaliland area.
Publication Type:
Technical report
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Author:
Corporate Author:
Somalia Water and Land Information Management, Nairobi (Kenya)
L-15 Detection of Tree Cutting in the Rangelands of NE Somalia
This report outlines how very high resolution satellite imagery was used to estimate the rate of tree-cutting in Puntland. The study used visual interpretation of Ikonos and Quickbird images for 2001 and 2006 respectively to generate tree density maps for the two years. Through collaboration between SWALIM and the EC Joint Research Centre at Ispra, Italy, an automatic procedure for identifying and classifying trees was also tested. Both techniques produced similar results, which showed an overall decrease in tree density between 2001 and 2006. The results also showed some areas where the tree densities have increased due to environmental conservation through community interventions. The method used can be up-scaled to other parts of Somalia to support afforestation campaigns and environmental conservation.
Publication Type:
Technical report
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Author:
Corporate Author:
SWALIM
L-13 Land Use Planning Guidelines
During the last 120 years, Somalia and Somaliland have experienced great political and socio-economic changes. The change in land use policies and land use planning activities over those periods is considerable, with new governments often reversing measures taken by previous regimes. More or less continuous developments over all periods include growing population, expansion of agriculture (cropping), increased number of water points, sedentarization, tree cutting and expansion of rangeland enclosures.The purpose of the Land Use Planning Guidelines for Somaliland is to explain the
principles and procedures of land use planning in general, and how it can be applied in Somaliland at various levels in particular.
Publication Type:
Technical report
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Author:
Corporate Author:
Somalia Water and Land Information Management, Nairobi (Kenya)
W-12 Water Sources Inventory for Northern Somalia
The number of water sources information collected in SWIMS through partners implementing water projects in the field during SWALIM II was limited. Only 750 water sources data was received for a period of more than a year, and in many cases the data covered only a small section of the essential information. As a result it become necessary for SWALIM to move to the field and do an inventory of all water sources points in Somalia. A country wide survey was launched, in collaboration with UNICEF, for the
strategic water points: boreholes, springs, dams and shallow wells which last long into the dry season. There are many point water sources in Somalia, which would take many months to survey. Majority of these sources are however seasonal, lasting only a few weeks after the rains. They include berkads and some shallow wells, and are used only
during the rainy season. When they dry out the local communities look for alternative sources of water. The limited resources available for the survey could not cover all the water sources in the country. Only the strategic water points were surveyed, as they are the source of water for the local communities when the seasonal sources dry out. The survey started in the Northern part of the country: Somaliland and Puntland, with plans of extending to the South/Central Somalia when security situation allows.
Publication Type:
Technical report
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Author:
Corporate Author:
Somalia Water and Land Information Management, Nairobi (Kenya)
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Other
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The World Conservation Union
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Other
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United Nations Human Settlements Programme
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Other
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United Nations Human Settlements Programme
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Other
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GAROWE-first steps towards strategic urban planning
First steps towards strategic urban planning
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Other
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United Nations Human Settlements Programme
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Other
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Other
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Other
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United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Guide for preparation of flood risk
the guide has been prepared for the European Investment Bank to provide advice on fluvial flood risk management that addresses planning
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Other
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HR Wallingford
status of medium to large irrigation schemes in southern somalia
The Juba and Shabelle river basins have been, and could again be, the breadbasket of Somalia. They have considerable potential for irrigation development, and several irrigation schemes have been developed on these two major river basins to provide sustainable food security and alleviate poverty in the country. However, due to 16 years of civil insecurity and unrest the majority of these schemes have collapsed. Based on the conclusions and recommendations of the and rdquoBanana Sector Study and rdquoprepared by the European Commission (EC, 2002), the European Commission has moved to restore some irrigation facilities, and rehabilitate and maintain former irrigated plantations and irrigation schemes.
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Other
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status of medium to large irrigation schemes in southern somalia
The Juba and Shabelle river basins have been, and could again be, the breadbasket of Somalia. They have considerable potential for irrigation development, and several irrigation schemes have been developed on these two major river basins to provide sustainable food security and alleviate poverty in the country. However, due to 16 years of civil insecurity and unrest the majority of these schemes have collapsed.
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Other
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W-08 Rural water supply assessment
Water resources in Somalia are limited both in quantity and quality, with frequent droughts and floods further worsening the water security situation in the country.
Before the onset of civil war in early 1991, the main institution in charge of water resources management in Somalia was the Ministry of Water and Mineral Resources (MWMR) through the National Water Centre (NWC). Exploitation of domestic water supplies was the responsibility of the Water Development Agency (WDA), while the ministry of Agriculture planned and operated water for agricultural activities in the Shabelle River. For the Juba River, development was the responsibility of the Ministry of National Planning and Juba Valley Development. Institutional arrangements of water resources management showed fragmentation, without a clear divide between the functions of national and local agencies. With the outbreak of civil war in 1991, much of the water infrastructure in Somalia was destroyed and social services such as health,education, water and sanitation were seriously affected.Being located in an extremely water-scarce area, the environmental, social and economic
development of Somalia is to a large extent dependent on improved water security through effective management of water resources.
Publication Type:
Technical report
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Author:
Corporate Author:
Somalia Water and Land Information Management, Nairobi (Kenya)
W-03 Inventory of Hydro-Meteorological Data of Somalia
Developing countries; especially in Africa, face great challenges in data and information management. While it is known that centralised database management is a good practice in the field of research, not many countries have managed to achieve this, even with the growing rate of knowledge of information and communication technology. Somalia faces even greater challenges than these countries due to the prolonged civil war. One and a half decade of the civil war in the country have resulted in loss and damage of most water & land related information collected in the previous half century.
This report presents an inventory of the historical hydro-meteorological data that have been
accumulated from various sources, and the hydrometeorological data that are currently
being collected by SWALIM in collaboration with partner agencies
Publication Type:
Technical report
Publication Date:
Author:
Corporate Author:
Somalia Water and Land Information Management, Nairobi (Kenya)
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