Environmental and Water Awareness
Raising Project in Mogadishu, Somalia

Somalia has been without a government to provide security for its citizens or to protect its borders and territorial waters for the past 15 years. During this period, Somalia’s people endured a brutal civil war, natural disasters, starvations, social instability etc. The untold misery, which the people suffered, was paralleled by an incalculable damage to the environment, potentially more catastrophic for the nation’s long-term survival than all the other disasters blamed on the lawlessness of the civil war and the armed conflict era. During this period of crisis, Somalia, a water scare country has experienced its worst water scarcity situations, and has allowed its environment to degrade to a level that can't be described in words.

There are no secure safe water supply sources for the entire nation for number of reasons. Country’s water infrastructure has totally collapsed due to civil war and lack of maintenance. Severe scarcity and misuse of freshwater in Somalia pose a serious and growing threat to people’s life and protection of the environment. The country experiences water pollution problems causing human health problems; lack of secure and safe access of water sources, misdisposal of wastewater contaminating land and water resources; devastating floods causing substantial destruction; and recurrent droughts severely affecting the people’s life, animals and the natural environment. In light with these major unprecedented challenges, the country lacks not only political and social stability but also human and financial resources to set up institutional capacities and water infrastructures that are desperately needed to handle the crisis. There are no plans and programs for water issues in general and water and environmental education in particular. The country lacks also active organisations working in the field of water and environment.

As part of its established objectives and aims, the Somali Centre for Water and Environment has launched programs and activities to change this sadly picture through awareness raising and knowledge increasing of the local people in Somalia in the field of environment and water.

The Centre has established instutitional link with Mogadishu University (MU), one of the Somalia's strongest civil society organistions. The leading staff of the Centre paid a special study trip visit to Mogadishu to carry our discusion meetings with MU leaders. Please click here, to learn more about the study visit to Mogadishu which occured between 22 dec. 2003 and 4 jan. 2004.

Environmental and Water Project 2005 with Mogadishu University

Environmental & Water Awareness Raising Project 2006, Mogadishu, Somalia