Report on Somalia’s Nationally Determined Contribution: Integrating Climate Action and Peacebuilding

Introduction: Context of Dual Crises

Somalia faces a complex interplay of protracted conflict and extreme vulnerability to climate change, creating a feedback loop that exacerbates humanitarian crises and undermines stability. For over three decades, internal conflicts have led to fragmented governance, mass displacement, and barriers to humanitarian aid. Concurrently, Somalia is ranked among the nations most susceptible to climate impacts such as severe droughts and floods. This dual predicament directly impedes progress towards multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Analysis of the Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)

Somalia’s third NDC marks a significant policy evolution by formally recognizing the nexus between climate resilience and peacebuilding. The document reframes climate action not merely as an environmental necessity but as a strategic tool for stabilization and social cohesion.

H3: A Framework for Integrated Action

The NDC moves beyond a “do no harm” approach to proactively leverage climate interventions for peace dividends. Key tenets of this integrated framework include:

• Conflict-Sensitive Planning: The roadmap mandates conflict-sensitive approaches in all stages of planning, implementation, and monitoring, with a particular focus on the historically contentious sectors of agriculture and water management. This directly supports the objectives of SDG 16.
• Inclusive and Equitable Measures: A core principle of the NDC is the meaningful inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups, including internally displaced persons, women, youth, and persons with disabilities. This commitment is central to achieving SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
• Policy Coherence: The NDC is strategically aligned with other national frameworks, such as the National Transformation Plan (2025-2029) and the Integrated Water Resource Management Strategic Plan, ensuring a unified approach to national development and contributing to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Synergistic Pathways: How Climate Action Fosters Peace

The NDC outlines practical pathways where climate initiatives can generate positive outcomes for peace and stability, addressing the root causes of conflict.

H3: Sustainable Resource Management and Conflict Resolution

Competition over scarce natural resources is a primary driver of local conflict. Climate-resilient strategies can mitigate these tensions:

• Collaborative Management: Initiatives that support local committees in the sustainable management of water and grazing lands can create platforms for dialogue and peaceful coexistence, advancing SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
• Dispute Resolution: Establishing community-based systems for resolving disputes over land, water, and resources strengthens local governance and contributes to SDG 16.

H3: Clean Energy Transition and Economic Diversification

Dependence on firewood and charcoal drives deforestation and creates economic friction. A shift to renewable energy offers a path to both environmental and social benefits.

• Renewable Energy Hubs: The development of locally-managed, low-cost solar energy provides a clean and affordable alternative, reducing pressure on forests and offering new livelihood opportunities, thereby supporting SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

H3: Strengthening Governance and Social Cohesion

Climate action can serve as a vehicle for building trust between citizens and state institutions.

• Service Delivery: When local authorities, supported by climate investments, deliver tangible services like clean water and energy, they build credibility and strengthen the state’s legitimacy, a key component of SDG 16.
• Community-Led Infrastructure: Co-funding mechanisms that require communities to jointly identify and finance shared priorities, such as water infrastructure, build social capital and foster trust among previously divided groups, advancing SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

The Reciprocal Relationship: Peacebuilding as an Enabler of Climate Adaptation

The report recognizes that a stable and peaceful environment is a prerequisite for effective, long-term climate adaptation.

1. Creating Space for Long-Term Planning: Peacebuilding reduces immediate security pressures, allowing communities the “breathing room” to engage in long-term planning and adapt their livelihoods to a changing climate.
2. Building Social Capital: Trust and social networks are critical for collective adaptation efforts. Peace allows for the cooperation necessary for labor-intensive, high-impact projects like regenerative agriculture, which improves soil health (SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 15: Life on Land) and strengthens community bonds.

Challenges and Strategic Recommendations

H3: Implementation Hurdles

Successfully implementing this ambitious agenda faces significant challenges:

• Balancing Urgencies: Addressing immediate humanitarian needs, such as high levels of food insecurity (SDG 2) and violence, while pursuing a long-term vision for climate resilience and peace is a formidable task.
• Project Cycles: Short-term project funding cycles often hinder the ability to plan, support, and assess integrated climate and peace initiatives that require sustained engagement to show results.

H3: Recommendations for Global Partners

To support Somalia in achieving its goals, international partners must adopt a similarly integrated approach:

1. Align climate finance and peacebuilding funds to support projects that deliver clear co-benefits, reinforcing SDG 13 and SDG 16 simultaneously.
2. Prioritize and fund sustained, community-led initiatives that empower local actors to manage resources and resolve conflicts.
3. Advocate for longer-term planning horizons and flexible funding mechanisms that are better suited to the complex and evolving context of a fragile state.
4. Invest in comprehensive monitoring and evaluation frameworks that can capture both peace dividends and environmental benefits, ensuring accountability and learning in line with SDG 17.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on Somalia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) highlights a deeply interconnected set of challenges and solutions that touch upon several Sustainable Development Goals. The analysis reveals connections to the following SDGs:

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The article mentions high levels of food insecurity and the importance of agriculture, such as regenerative agriculture and growing crops, which are central to this goal.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The NDC explicitly calls for the inclusion of women in climate action, recognizing their specific needs and the importance of their participation in decision-making processes.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The text repeatedly emphasizes the critical role of water management, citing conflicts over water resources, the need for collaborative management, and the development of water infrastructure as key issues.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The article discusses the transition from traditional energy sources like firewood and charcoal, which cause deforestation, to cleaner alternatives like locally-managed solar hubs.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The roadmap’s focus on including vulnerable and marginalized groups, such as displaced people, youth, and persons with disabilities, directly addresses the aim of reducing inequalities.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: This is a central theme, as the entire article is about Somalia’s NDC, which is its primary tool for climate mitigation, adaptation, and building resilience to climate impacts like drought and floods.
• SDG 15: Life on Land: The article addresses issues of deforestation and land degradation caused by charcoal production and highlights solutions like sustainable environmental practices and regenerative agriculture to improve soil health.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This is a core focus of the article. It details how Somalia’s climate action is intentionally designed to be a tool for peacebuilding, reducing conflict, strengthening governance through local councils, and establishing community-based dispute resolution systems.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article points to the necessity of partnerships, mentioning collaborations between local authorities and businesses, co-funding mechanisms between communities, and the need for aligned efforts from international donors and partners.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the actions and policies described in the article, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 2.4: Ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices. This is reflected in the mention of “regenerative agriculture” to improve soil health and build resilience.
2. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership. The article highlights the NDC’s call to include women in planning and implementation.
3. Target 6.5: Implement integrated water resources management at all levels. This is evident in the reference to the “Integrated Water Resource Management Strategic Plan” and calls for “collaborative natural resource management.”
4. Target 6.b: Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management. This is shown through the development of “community-based systems for land, water, and resource dispute resolution” and co-funded water projects.
5. Target 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy. The promotion of “locally-managed, low-cost solar hubs” as an alternative to charcoal is a direct effort towards this target.
6. Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all. The NDC’s specific mention of including “displaced people, women, youth and persons with disabilities” aligns with this target.
7. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. The entire NDC roadmap is focused on helping Somalia adapt to climate change, particularly droughts and floods.
8. Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article states that the NDC aligns climate security with the “National Transformation Plan (2025-2029).”
9. Target 15.3: Combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil. This is addressed through efforts to counter “deforestation and land degradation” from charcoal production and implement “regenerative agriculture.”
10. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence. The article posits that climate action, such as improved resource management, can “reduce conflict” and fuel tensions among communities.
11. Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making. This is demonstrated by the use of co-funding mechanisms where communities “jointly identify, design and fund shared priorities” and the focus on including vulnerable groups.
12. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The article gives examples of “partnerships with local businesses” to deliver services and the need for international donors and partners to align their efforts.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several qualitative and quantitative indicators that could be used to measure progress:

• Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups: Progress can be measured by the level of participation of women, youth, displaced persons, and people with disabilities in the planning and implementation of climate projects.
• Establishment of Renewable Energy Sources: The number of “locally-managed, low-cost solar hubs” created serves as a direct indicator of the shift to clean energy.
• Development of Water Infrastructure: The number of “co-financed water infrastructure projects” completed and the number of families gaining access to water can be tracked.
• Conflict Resolution Mechanisms: The establishment and functionality of “community-based systems for land, water, and resource dispute resolution” can be monitored.
• Adoption of Sustainable Practices: The extent to which “regenerative agriculture” and other “sustainable environmental practices” are adopted by communities is a key indicator for both SDG 2 and SDG 15.
• Strengthened Governance: The ability of “district councils” to provide tangible services like water and energy, thereby building credibility, can be assessed as an indicator of institutional strength.
• Reduction in Conflict: A decrease in the number of reported conflicts over natural resources (e.g., water and grazing land) would indicate progress towards peacebuilding goals.
• Formation of Partnerships: The number of “partnerships with local businesses” and community co-funding initiatives can be counted to measure progress on SDG 17.
• Policy Integration: The successful integration of “conflict-sensitive approaches” into the planning, implementation, and monitoring of agriculture and water management projects serves as a policy-level indicator.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: newsecuritybeat.org