Baring Foundation funded Somaliland Programmes

 
1.         Genesis
 

Of Somaliland’s estimated population of three million, over half are involved in nomadic pastoralism and another quarter in agro-pastoralism, making it one of the most pastorally oriented territories anywhere. Prolong drought and environmental degradation in Somaliland, coupled with other factors such as war and internal conflicts, livestock ban, inadequate land use policies and lack of capacities for governance of local resources have all combined to cause the gradual erosion of Somaliland pastoralists’ livelihoods.

PENHA has responded to this crisis by developing Pastoralists poverty alleviation programme’ funded by the Baring Foundation. The project’s activities began with PENHA and ICD action-oriented research study on the state of pastoralism in Somaliland in mid 2000 entitled ‘Promotion of Pastoralists Understanding through Research and Training’ with the aim to identify Somaliland pastoralists’ problems and needs.

 

The action research aimed to:

 

n      Produce reliable information on which to base project designs and their implementation;

n      Promote a debate within Somaliland on the role of pastoralism in the economy;

n      Enhance the capacity of local community-based and non-governmental organisations working with pastoralists at the grassroots level.

 

The research generated reliable information upon which the project designs and their implementation were based and culminated in the presentation of the findings at two workshops: a National workshop in Burao in December 2000 (in Somali) and an International workshop in Hargeisa in January 2001 (in English). The research and the two workshop recommendations formed the basis for PENHA’s strategy for the development of the Baring Foundation funded programmes. Follow up consultation exercises in 2001 with pastoralists communities provided the basis for the development of actions needed for alleviating the problems facing Somaliland Pastoralists. The consultation exercises provided opportunity for Pastoralists to share concerns about the fact that no organization was meeting their needs and asked for responsive action for helping them deal with some of the perennial problems they face.

 

The results indicated that nomadic pastoralism in Somaliland was under threat from a number of natural and human problems, including:

 

n      Diminishing water resources caused by water run-off, itself exacerbated by the removal of acacia trees for charcoal production;

n      Environmental degradation, including severe erosion caused by the water run-off;

n      Enclosure of what was formerly rangeland with the effect that common land was becoming unavailable for pasturage and the movement of animals was being restricted;

n      The ban on livestock import by Gulf countries under the pretext of Rift Valley Fever caused difficulties throughout the region, with the negative effect on Somaliland pastoralists;

n      Increased population pressure and a rapid process of urbanisation driven by the prolonged civil conflict had significantly weakened the institutions of pastoral society, to the degree that a generation of young Somalis had little or no experience of pastoralism as a viable livelihood (and equally little experience of any viable urban-based alternative);

n      Poor livestock infrastructure, especially export and veterinary facilities, once again a direct result of years of state failure and an absence of formal regulatory or policy framework enabling pastoralists to interact with the governments and people of neighbouring nations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.         Programmes Delivered.

 

Three year funding support from the Baring Foundation has enabled PENHA Somaliland to deliver Pastoralists poverty alleviation and environmental rehabilitation programmes with special focus on: 

 

·        Capacity-building programmes (primarily training workshops) for pastoralists, local NGOs and CBOs and relevant government ministries – most particularly the Ministry for Pastoral Development and the Environment;

·        Lobbying and networking on land tenure issues, rangeland policy and other policy issues that affect pastoralists’ livelihoods;

·        Assistance for the Somaliland Government in the development of appropriate policies relating to issues of significance to pastoralists;

·        Environmental protection and rehabilitation programmes, including the reintroduction, management and improvement of grazing reserves including the Ban Awl reserve

·        Provision of micro-credit to pastoralist women for recipients to be engaged in small businesses to mitigate against pastoralists livelihood problems and economic hardship brought by the ban imposed on Somaliland pastoralists’ livestock export by Saudi Arabia. (Women were targeted, as recipients of the micro credit funds because the resultant percentage of women ultimately contributing to household welfare (i.e. improving the food security of whole families) has consistently been shown to be greater than is the case where men are also eligible to receive credit. A particular perceived problem in Somaliland lies in the fact that in recent years, kat consumption has increased markedly amongst males, with concomitant fears that this would prove a further diversion for the use of funds for the  purchase and consumption of kat).

·        Facilitation of exchange visits between Somaliland and Ethiopia pastoral communities: a group of pastoralists from Somaliland visited the Filtu project area and a return visit is planned.

·        In 2004, PENHA in collaboration of its partner agencies undertook relief work for Somaliland communities affected by recent drought. The relief activities included the delivery of food and human and veterinary medicine to drought-affected communities in the Sanaag and Togdheer regions.

·        The Baring Foundation grant also enabled PENHA Somaliland and the University of Hargeisa to begin preliminary work for the establishment of a Pastoralist Centre on the University campus to promote and lead research and teaching on pastoralism and the environment, land use and range management. The centre is planned as a regional centre of excellence on pastoralism and pastoralist issues, with the hope that, in the future, it will become a resource accessible to students, academics, researchers, NGOs, CBOs and the civil society / public in the Horn of Africa.

 

 

 

Project’s Impact

 

The project’s activities were conceived to produce medium to long term impact. However the evaluation report recently submitted to the Baring Foundation provides information on some of the short term impact of the 3 year activities. Examples include how the environmental protection and rangeland Resource Management Techniques such as the closure of grazing reserve and environmental rehabilitation works undertaken including the construction of water harvesting contours is helping to:

  • Reduce environmental degradation and soil erosion problems and conserving diminishing water resource caused by the cutting down of trees for charcoal production
  • Combat desertification in the project’s intervention area and serving as a requisite for the future sustainability of the pastoral communities and their production systems. The soil and water conservation measures has reduced water runoff and erosion in the rangeland areas through the construction of eighty bunds that is helping to regenerate vegetation growth and for the increase of fodder supply for livestock through the grazing reserve system developed

 

 

 

  • There has also been a marked increase of pastoralist household income generating activity through the promotion of micro credit activities for pastoralists women.
  • The Development of pastoralists rangeland policy for relevant government ministries is also helping pastoralists to gain access and use of rangelands that were previously closed and producing conflicts over land use
  • The project’s capacity building programmes included the development of pastoralists forums and pastoral leadership structures, developed through the establishment of pastoral associations  have given opportunity for the mobilisation of Somaliland pastoralists communities to lobby and campaign central and local governments about their needs and developmental aspirations and for allocation of government resources and intervention measures.