Pastoralist and agro-pastoralist livelihoods in the Somali National Regional State of Ethiopia are increasingly threatened by environmental (climatic), socio-economic and political challenges. Droughts and natural resources degradation are reducing the availability of pasture and water and are impacting on livelihoods of affected communities. 

Due to the strongly patriarchal society, women are more affected than men as their household responsibilities require more time and energy than before. Interventions such as participatory natural resource management, capacity development, minority inclusion, and advances in evidence-based policy are needed. Phase 3 of the SDR-SNRS project will address these challenges by increasing drought resilience of lowland (agro-) pastoralist communities in SNRS, and thereby contributing to reducing resources-related conflicts between displacement-affected and host communities. 

Micro level: 650 beneficiaries (ca. 32% women; 44% IDPs) will benefit through income generation and improved food basket from rehabilitated land in six woredas. 

Meso level: technical staffs of government Bureaus and their respective woreda offices, Gode and Jigjiga Polytechnic colleges and University of Jigjiga. 

Macro level: national government staffs and members of relevant donor (development and humanitarian platforms at regional and national levels who adopt and upscale promising approaches for natural resource management based on documented practices in the Somali Regions experience.

1. Pastoral and agro-pastoral communities have enhanced their climate resilience, productivity, and access to markets owing improved natural resource management.

2. System-relevant institutions at woreda, regional and national levels effectively create framework conditions that promote improved climate-smart, context sensitive, and sustainable natural resource management, productivity, and market systems.

Expected results:  

Output 1.1: Selected communities consolidate the DVRPU approach in cooperation with their governmental and non-governmental partners. 

Output 1.2: Sustainable management structures for WSWs maintenance and use are established.

Output 2.1: NRM competencies at regional, Woreda and Kebele levels and in government agencies are strengthened. 

Output 2.2: The management, financial and technical capacities of public and private actors implementing DVRPU are improved. 

Output 2.3: The integration of vulnerable groups, especially IDPs, into sustainable NRM is piloted.

Results from previous phases:  

• BoA constructed over 400 additional WSWs outisde the project target area with government funds; 
• WSW and Dry Stone Measures have been integrated into MoA National Guidelines (2020) for Community Based participatory watershed and Rangeland Development;
• Areas with WSWs had been benefitting from water access for up to 60 days after rain;
• 44 key staffs from the Bureaus of Agriculture and Livestock, Jigjiga University, and NGOs were trained on remote sensing methodologies for site indentification; 
• Contruction of 57 Water Spreading Weirs in the first two phases by the project with a total of 2,104 ha rehabilitated land; 
• Three practice-oriented modules on DVRPU construction produced with three vocational schools;
•  4,000 households (20,000 people, 50% women) trained on fodder production to increase fodder supply;
• 370 beneficiaries (46% women) benefitted from the rehabilitated land through diversification of income generation and food basket. 

National level: MoA, WB, USAID, IFAD

Operational level: WFP, IOM, Mercy Corps, ICRC, Wetland International, VSF-CH

National flagship projects: DRSLP, LLRP, PSNP