(Extract from the foreword)This report is the outcome of a multi-sectoral nationwide household survey, the first of its kind in Somalia for over two decades. The report provides statistics on demographic and housing characteristics, access to basic services, household income and employment, modes of communication and women's participation in family decision making and community-level activities, among other things. Individually, these statistics provide valuable information on different facets of socio-economic characteristics, and together they reflect to a certain extent, the well-being of an average Somali household.

This documentandrdquoPreliminary Assessment and Strategic Approaches Reportandrdquois the first section of the second volume prepared during a mission to analyse andrdquoRural Water and Sanitation Interventions in Northeast and Southern Somaliaandrdquounder a framework contract financed by the European Union and implemented by Montgomery Watson Harza in consortium led by Parsons Brinckerhoff. The strategy builds on the European Commission andrdquoStrategy for the Implementation of Special Aid to Somalia 2002 - 2007(SISAS)andrdquoand the results cf a workshop held on 6 November, 2003 in close cooperation with the SACB WSISC (Somalia Aid Coordination Body Water Supply Infrastructure and Sanitation Committee) committee and other stakeholders where the proposed strategy was analysed.

This manual has been written as a guideline to assist implementing agencies design for the rehabilitation of irrigation systems within the Shabelle basin. The manual attempts to provide comprehensive sets of principles, steps, options and methods which are applicable in irrigation infrastructure design without overloading the manual with details.

In order to improve the flood warning, preparedness and response in the flood prone areas the SC (UK) Belet Weyne food security team carried out a flood baseline assessment. The aim of the flood baseline assessment was to:br br+ Understand how the El Nino flood of 1997/1998 affected the riverine food economy group in Belet Weyne District particularly the most vu1nerable groups.br + Use this information to recognize the associated risks and impact of similar floods on agricultural production, livestock holdings, social support systems and infrastructure.br + Identify and understand the local community flood monitoring systems, preparedness plans and response ability.br + Use this assessment to enhance relief co-ordination efforts and operational preparedness of UN, International and local agencies when floods occur.br + Identify appropriate strategies that would contribute the control of floods.br + Improve and develop weak links between flood warning information generators and information users.br; br This flood assessment was done using the Household Economy Approach (HEA). This approach is the core methodology used by Save the Children (UK) and other partner agencies throughout the region to assess food security and livelihoods. In this particular assessment the HEA looks at the impact of the El -Nino flood on the livelihoods of the affected communities at household level. It distinguishes each different socio-economic group's (wealth group) access to food and income, as well as their ability to afford daily necessities during this year. The HEA identifies the risks and shocks associated with the flood as well as each wealth group's respective coping and risk minimizing strategies.

For the last two years, GHARP has, with a financial grant from USAID, implemented a regional project whose overall objective was to identify and evaluate the performance of RWH systems in the GHA with the aim of promoting best practices in water management in order to enhance food security and water availability. The publication focuses on the results of that project and highlights factors that need to be considered for effective promotion and adoption of sustainable solutions to livelihoods in GHA.