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Designing & Implementation of Multi-Hazard Early Warning System(MHEWS)

Multi-hazard Early Warning System Design & Implementation Center (MHEWC)

Multi-Hazard Early Warning System(MHEWS) for Somalia

( Developed by Z M Sajjadul Islam for the UN Agency and Copyrighted )

Executive Summary

The proposed Early Warning for All(EW4ALL) implementation strategy considers Somalia’s existing disaster/climate risk, fragility, conflict, and vulnerability (FCV) context. It considers the most appropriate solution to the governance paradox, and it concurrently considers how to overcome the governance fragility challenges and bridge the gaps among the last-mile non-state development actors, private sectors, and central-level federal and state actors(government) in the disaster risk management governance system. The most considerable imperatives are that the Somali mobile penetration reaches 80% of the country’s population, leveraging the way forward to an ICT-driven agile online system structured as an open-ended system to facilitate the implementation of the EW4ALL pillar actions for Somalia.

Proposed ICT tools-driven online system of national multi-hazard early warning system(NMHEWS) underscored the technical nexus of fostering protective digital partnership among all actors through the implementation of ICT tools-based informed multi-hazard risk governance management and overall improvement of the hydromet Services and Early Warning Systems. More specifically, the purpose of this report is to provide valuable insights into the nuances of ICT driven early warning systems (EWS) implementation within fragile, conflict, and violence (FCV)-affected contexts against growing natural hazards, offering technical risk-governance and identifying entry points where an ICT tools supported mechanism to link climate frontline stakeholders, community and smallholder entrepreneurs as last-mile key informant and to be interacting them with the EW4ALL system,  enhancing last-mile stakeholder digital coordination, optimizing multi-hazard risk-informed and climate proof local development planning, resource allocation, and fostering community readiness to better preparedness for, respond to and resilience-building to any impending hazardous multi-hazards.

All the significant inputs for this  EW4ALL implementation strategy development came from a field mission to Somalia, organizing stakeholder consultation, and a physical visit to the concerned government entities in Somalia.

Contents

1.0          Introduction. 9

1.1 Objective of the Assessment and Full-scale EW4ALL Implementation Strategy Development: 9

1.2 Assessment Methodology. 10

1.3 Consultation Process: 11

2.0 Challenges of Multi-hazard Risk Management Governance in the Somalin FCV context : 12

2.1 Recommendations for Overcoming the Indicative Challenges and exploring an ICT-driven multi-hazard risk management system can be implemented in the Somalia FCV context 14

2.2 Objective of the Interoperable NMHEWS for Somalia  : 15

2.3 Urgency of Implementation of ICT-based Multi-Hazard Risk Management Governance: 16

2.4 Key indicators of ICT-driven EW4ALL action priorities for Somalia in FCV context. 17

3.0  Pillar 1 Implementation Strategy (Improving Disaster Risk Knowledge): 18

3.1   The ongoing  SoDMA Structure : 18

3.2   The NMHEWC ongoing operational structure : 19

3.3 Proposed Interoperable NMHEWS : 21

3.3.1 Establish a digital partnership among the stakeholders and prime actors: 21

3.3.2 Design and implementation of an Interoperability Online geospatial system: 22

3.4  : ICT Structures  of Interoperable Online NMHEWS Platform: 23

3.6 Implementation of Open-Source Geospatial Platform : 24

3.6.1  Component of Open-Source Geospatial Platform: 24

3.6.2            Installation  of Geoserver : 25

3.6.3            Anchoring Google mapping tools  : 25

3.6.4  Installation and Configuration of Surveying Apps. 26

3.6.5  Deploying File-Sharing Tools : 26

3.6.6 Implementing Web converting common alerting protocol (CAP )apps : 26

3.7 Rationale of ICT-integrated Interoperable Online NMHEWS platform to support impact-based forecast (IBF): 26

3.8 Improving Risk Knowledge of stakeholders. 27

3.9 Improving Sector Value Chain Operators’ Risk Knowledge: 28

3.10 Following are the recommendations for Disaster Risk Knowledge Management Governance. 28

3.11  Review  Stakeholder Partnership & Coordination Mechanism.. 31

3.12   Partnership for Data Coordination and Exchange Mechanism.. 32

3.13 Upgradation and Activation of Interoperable Situation Room and  NMHEWS at NMHEWC of SoDMA: 32

3.14 NMHEWS responsibilities for improving risk knowledge : 34

3.14.1  Understanding Disaster Risk of the Locality. 34

3.14.2               Frontline community needs to understand Disaster Risk in their Locality : 34

3.14.3          Enhancing the risk knowledge of Smallholder crop farmers: 35

3.14.4          Climate Vulnerable Productive Sector Departments : 36

3.14.5          Improving risk knowledge of Civil Protection  Committee(CPC)/Disaster management Committee : 38

3.14.6          Improving risk knowledge of Humanitarian actors  : 39

3.14.7          Improving risk knowledge of entrepreneurs & Value Chain Operators. 39

3.14.8          Improving risk knowledge of Local Governments ( City, Municipality, Urban councils ) actors to deal with the climate crisis  39

3.14.9          Improving risk knowledge of Duty Bearer/Local Disaster Management Committee (DMC)/Civil Protection Committee : 40

4.0 Pillar 2 : Improving surface observation, Monitoring, and Forecasting. 41

4.1 The existing hydro met services- Somalia faces daunting challenges in implementing the Pillar. 41

4.1     Current forecasting mechanism of Somalia : 41

4.2 Indicative challenges in national forecasting service delivery : 42

4.3 Recommendations on improving  the national forecasting service delivery : 42

4.4 Recommendations on improving the sector-specific national forecasting service delivery : 44

4.5 Recommendations on improving hydrometeorological services: : 44

4.6 Improving hybrid observation. 58

5.0 Pillar 3 Implementation Strategy ( Warning dissemination and communication) 59

5.1 Indicative Challenges of  Warning dissemination and communication. 59

5.2 Developing a Common Alerting Protocol(CAP) : 61

5.3  Interoperable risk communication and feedback system with NMHEWS ( CREWS Initiative Support ) 62

5.4  Develop and disseminate a common alerting protocol (CAP) on imminent hazards, weather  : 62

5.5  Improving terrestrial Broadcasting. 63

5.6  Stakeholders’ responsibility metrics on Risk Communication and Event Updates. 64

5.7  NCA Mandates National Broadcasters, News Outlets for dissemination. 67

5.8  UN Clusters data contribution for impact forecasting. 67

5.9  Installation of hybrid surface observation and organize a Live radio/TV show during Hazard spells are going. 68

6.0 Pillar 4 : Improving Preparedness and Response Capabilities. 69

6.1 The central objectives for improving Preparedness and response capabilities. 69

6.2 Recommendations on a coherent sector-level actionable policy framework: 69

6.3 Improving Forecast-based Anticipatory Action Planning Capacity: 70

6.4  Implementation  functional Civil Protection  Committee(CPC)/Disaster management Committee(DMC) : 70

6.5  Hazard risk-informed Humanitarian actions. 71

6.6    Improving the community-level volunteering network for emergency preparedness and Response mechanism   71

6.7   Improving Last-Mile Disaster Preparedness Capacity. 71

6.8    Improving Community-based Early Warning Capacity. 73

6.9   How to develop  Anticipatory Action (AA) Framework. 74

6.10    Improve  disaster risk financing system: 76

6.11    Supporting the implementation of risk-informed DRM and DRR. 76

6.12    Improve DRM Planning at local level : 77

6.13   Gender responsive DRR framework : 77

Acronym

AA           Anticipatory Action

AM          Amplitude Modulation

AMM      Africa Media Monitor

APIs        Application programming interfaces 

ARC         African Risk Capacity

AWD       Acute Watery Diarrhea

AWS        automated weather station

BCPs       Business Continuity Plans

CAP         Common Alerting Protocol

CB           Cell-Broadcast

CBDRM   Community Based Disaster Risk Management

CBO        Community-based organization

CBS         Central Bank of Somalia

CCA         Climate Change Adaptation

CCM        Convention on Cluster Munitions

CIMA       International Centre for Environmental Monitoring

CPC         Civil protection committee

CREWS   Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems

CRVA      Climate risk and vulnerability assessments

CSO         Civil Services Organization

DDMT     Disaster Management Team

DFID        Department for International Development Government of the United Kingdom

DINA       Drought Impact and Needs Assessment

DM         Disaster Management

DMA       Disaster Management Agency

DMC       Disaster Management Committee

DRM       Disaster Risk Management

DRMCG  Disaster Risk Management Coordination Group

DRR        Disaster Risk Reduction 

DTM        Displacement  Tracking Matrix

DTS         Disaster Tracking System

EOC         Emergency Operation Centre

ETT          Emergency Tracking Tools

EW          Early Warning

EW4ALL Early warning for all

FAO         Food and Agriculture Organization

FBF

FEWSNET               Famine Early Warning Systems Network

FGS         Federal Government of Somalia

FM          Frequency Modulation

FSNAU    Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit

GDP        Gross domestic product

GIS          geographic information system

GMAS     Global Multi-hazard Alert System

GPS         The Global Positioning System

GSM       Global System Mobile

GTOS      Global Terrestrial Observing System

HC           Humanitarian Coordinator

HCT         Humanitarian Country Team

HPC         High-performance Computer

IBF           Impact-based Forecast

ICPAC      IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre

ICS          Incident Command System

ICT           Information and Communications Technology

IDP          Internally Displaced Person

IDRR       International Day for Disaster Reduction 

IFAD        International Fund for Agricultural Development

IFRC        International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

IGAD       Intergovernmental Authority on Development

IGADD    Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development

LITK         local, indigenous and traditional knowledge

ILK           Indigenous and local knowledge

INGO       International Non Government Organization

IOM        International Organization for Migration

IPCC        Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 

ITCZ         Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone

ITU          International Telecommunication Union

IRV          Interactive Voice Response

L & D      Loss and Damage

LB-SMS   Location-based SMS

LCG-DER local coordination group on disaster emergency response

LNHAs     Local National Humanitarian Actors

LNNGOs  Local and National NGOs

MoAI      Ministry for Agriculture and Irrigation

MoFBE    Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy

MOLFR   Ministry of Livestock, Forestry And Range

MoPIED Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development

MoEWR  Ministry of Energy & Water Resources

MoHADM              Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management

MTR        Mid Term Review

NAPA      National Adaptation Plan of Action

NCA        National Community Authority

NDMF     National Disaster Management Fund

NDRMC    National Disaster Risk Management Council

NDVI       Normalized Difference Vegetation Index

NMHEWC              National Multi-hazard Early Warning Center

NMHEWS              National Multi-hazard Early Warning System(Online)

MHEWS  Multi-hazard Early Warning System(Online)

NGO        Non-Government Organization

NMHSs   National Meteorological and Hydrological Services

NSO        National Statistical Office

OCHA     Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

OI            Officer In-charge

OPM       Office of the Prime Minister

PDNA      Post-disaster loss, damage, and needs assessment

Q&A       Questions and answers 

RPDNA   Rapid Post-Disaster Needs Assessment

RVAC       Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Committee

RS            Remote Sensing

RMC        Regional Meteorological Center

RSMCs    Regional Specialist Meteorological Center

SADD      sex, age, disability disaggregated data

SDG        Sustainable Development Goals 

SDRMCG                Somalia Disaster Risk Management Coordination Group

SFDRR    Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction

SMS        Short Message Service

SNDMP   Somalia National Disaster Management Policy

SNDP      Somalia National Development Plan

SoDMA   Somalia Disaster Management Agency

SoD         Standing orders in Disaster

SoP         Standard Operating Procedure

SRCS       Somalia Red Crescent Society

SWALIM Somalia Water and Land Information Management

SWALIM                 Somalia Water and Land Information Management

TWG        Technical Working Group

UAV         Unmanned aerial vehicle

UHF         Ultra-high frequency

UN          United Nations

UNCCA   United Nations Convention against Corruption

UNCDF    UN Capital Development Fund

UNDP     United Nations Development Programme 

UNDRR   United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

UNFPA    United Nations Population Fund

UNHCR   United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNICEF   United nations international children’s emergency fund

UNRCO   United Nations Resident Coordinator Office

UNV        UN Volunteers

VAC         Vulnerability Assessment Committee

WASH     Water, sanitation, and hygiene

WFP        UN World Food Programme

WHO      World Health Organization

WMO     World Meteorological Organization 

1.0 Introduction  

Considering Somalia’s existing disaster/climate risk, fragility, conflict, and vulnerability (FCV) context, it is highly advisable that Somalia need to implement an ICT-driven online platform on a national multi-hazard early warning system (NMHEWS). This system is essential to supply precision-level hazard early warning, impact forecast, weather warning alerting, sectoral elements, risk-informed climate-proof planning, and support disaster risk management governance. It will also prepare the climate frontline ( last-mile) for, respond to, and recover from extreme weather events & multi-hazards.

The implementation strategy was derived from the field mission for the institutional assessment and stakeholder consultations of Early Warning for All (EW4ALL) implementation for Somalia. The field mission is intended to assess the existing institutional capacity in hydrometeorological service delivery with multidimensional aspects of operational modality.

The main objective of the assessment is to review the institutional capability to fully implement Early Warning for All (EW4ALL) with all its structure, methodology, tools, and processes. It will also analyze the core stakeholders’ capacity to implement the EW4ALL pillar actions and devise strategies for implementing EW4ALL, considering the context of Somalian Fragility, Conflict, and Vulnerability (FCV).

One of the technical aspects of the assessment of physical visits is the SoDMA NMHEWC, which reviews the overall operational status and service delivery capacity. It also reviews the ICT infrastructure, database, hardware, software, system components, network topology, internet backbone, data connectivity, and human resources capacity in handling disaster risk information management.

To conduct technical reviews on the systemic structure and interoperability of the EW4ALL implementation of all pillar actions, which depend on coordination and partnership mechanisms, operational capacity to determine hazard detection, forecast production, hazard impact analysis, risk communication, and better preparedness and response capacity.

The assessment is intended to investigate the operational capability of  SoDMA national hazard early warning center (NMHEWC), the Somalian climate vulnerable sector ministry, regarding its existing institutional capacity, technical structure, ICT structures, functional and operational capability of handling the multi-hazard early warning functions, products, services, coordination mechanism, etc.

UNDRR undertook an initiative to enhance Somalian capacity to improve the Early Warning for All (EW4ALL) initiative by implementing all pillar actions with an already developed Roadmap of action plans. The assessment investigated the overall disaster risk management governance capacity and the existence of local government-level disaster risk management systems.

1.1 Objective of the Assessment and Full-scale EW4ALL Implementation Strategy Development:

  • The objective of the field mission is to assess Somalian institutional capacity for improving multi-hazard risk knowledge, multi-hazard early warning preparation, and dissemination capacity.
  • Diagnose the multi-hazard early warning system, identify the bottlenecks and gaps of the inclusive multi-hazard risk governance system, and provide recommendations and a way forward
  • Stakeholder consultation and diagnosis of risk knowledge management, hazard detection, and providing precision-level early warning; multi-hazard risk communication gaps and recommendations for systemic improvements; investigation of institutional mechanisms; partnership and coordination of preparedness and response management assessment; underlying indicative gaps, provide recommendations, and prepare implementation strategy for the Somalian context.

1.2 Assessment Methodology

The methodological approach of assessment follows through several strategic tools, e.g., from March 23 – 27, 2025, to conduct stakeholder consultation with Key Informant Interview (KII) with key stakeholders (sector ministries/departments, UN Agencies ) to investigate the institutional capacity of in terms of implementation of EW4ALL Pillar actions/intervention. Conducted physical visits to review the NHMWEC infrastructure, hardware, software, communication tools, database, servers, storage system, internet connectivity, and digital partnership with other key actors. Side-by-side, the comprehensive desk reviews of all websites, information disclosure policy, strategy, and NHMWEC’s products and services for the end users. Assessment reviews of the current set of stakeholder coordination and partnerships regarding multi-hazard early warning service deliveries, as well as all pillar activities and engagement of last-mile stakeholders in Disaster Risk Management (DRM). Assessment interacted with the stakeholders with the following questionnaires to identify the indicative gaps.  

 

Figure 1: Institutional Assessment Methodology( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

  • What are the Operational Structure and service Delivery Capacity gaps of NMHEWC concerning the EW4ALL Roadmap?
  • What about the existing ICT system and structure at the SoDMA and other sector departments (Service delivery Capacity, Hardware, Software, IT-capable, Human Resources) in place?
  • What is the level  of use of the GIS & Remote Sensing Section (Service delivery Capacity, Hardware, Software, IT Human Resources) , Field-level data collection, collation, and production-informed tools ( GIS Maps )
  • What about the current status of NHMS, EWS minimum capability in data collection, risk data collection, repository development, L&D data collection mechanism, PDNA, RPDNA capacity?
  • Existing capacity of climate vulnerability sector ministries and departments in climate and multi-hazard risk assessment capacity ( methodology, guidelines,  tools, process ), indicative gaps, and recommendations.
  • Current capacity of sector-level risk data collection, age-sex, disability disaggregated data( SADD)  collection mechanism, data-collation, databases,  repository &  informed tools development ( GIS map/atlas, reports, etc.) capacity.
  • What is the current stakeholder partnership and coordination framework structure for disaster risk governance management, risk and vulnerability assessment, risk-informed sectoral planning, and how to partner with the CERWS GHA and EW4ALL full-scale implementation?
  • The  level of the ICT/GIS system, GIS, and Remote Sensing Map production system of FAO-SWALIM of  MoEWR
  • What is the current level of national hydromet services, the status of observation stations, data collection, collation, and processing mechanisms?
  • What is the current data sharing and information exchange mechanism with upper-riparian transboundary ( Ethiopia, Kenya)  & inland flood forecasting and early warning systems, inland heavy rainfall forecasting and Outlook System, operational forecasting system, impact forecasting system, and overall forecasting capability, bulletin preparation, and forecast-based early action protocol development?
  • What is the current national risk communication framework, roadmap, Structures and processes,  national media outlets, broadcasting channels, dissemination channel, community-based end-to-end early warning mechanism, warning understandability by the frontline community, warning receiving modalities, gaps, and challenges
  • What is the current risk dissemination framework? How do national Radio/TV broadcasters broadcast access every day’s forecasts, mandates, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and accountability of national broadcasters in broadcasting emergency weather bulletins, weather warnings, and alerting?  How does the last-mile off-grid remote/hard-to-reach area community/household receive water warning? What are those indicative forecast dissemination barriers and challenges,, and how to address bottlenecks?
  • Reviews of national risk communication framework, roadmap, structure, process gaps, and challenges
  • Assessment of national media outlets, broadcasting channels, and dissemination channels
  • Community-based end-to-end early warning mechanism, warning understandability by frontline community warning receiving modalities, gaps, and challenges
  • Review local government planning process,  gender-inclusive participatory local government /clan level development planning, gender-inclusive DRR Planning and interventions by state and non-state actors
  • What is the current DRM structure, risk governance mechanism, structure, and functional status of the Civil Protection Committee (CPC)/Disaster Management Committee(DMC),  Disaster Preparedness, response, and recovery planning process?
  • Assessment of the current Disaster Emergency Declaration Process,  UN /INGO-led cluster coordination, response mobilization, and humanitarian action. Assessment of Local Level ( District/Village) level DRM Plans,(Preparedness, response, and recovery ), humanitarian action
  • Assessment of Sector-level DRR interactions at the local level, Review local government planning process,  gender-inclusive participatory local government /clan level development planning, Gendered inclusive DRR Planning and interventions by state and non-state actors 

1.3 Consultation Process:

  • Organize Meetings with SoDMA  NMHEWC Team ( ICT Department, hazard risk analysis team, DRR Department, Humanitarian Affairs Department, Planning and M & E Department, and other relevant officials/stakeholders)
  • Consultation with the Livestock, Agriculture, and Water Resources Department.
  • Consultation with UN Agencies (UNDP, FAO, WFP)
  • Consultation with the technical working group of national hydromet services of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MoEWR), Somalia Water Sources Information Management System
  • Meeting with NCA and Broadcasters to discuss the challenges of weather forecasting and bulletin preparation.

2.0 Challenges of Multi-hazard Risk Management Governance in the Somalin FCV context :

  1. Political fragility and a centralized governance system hinder the risk-informed development:

Climate/multi-hazard risk management governance process encompasses a concerted approach of sectors and stakeholders that needs to address all those cross-cutting issues, systematic and cohesive policy alignments, and inclusive & concerted programmatic interventions are undertaken by the sectors, inter- & intra-institutional partnership and coordination mechanisms are in place, etc.  However it also requires a holistic sectoral agreed consensus on risk assessment & information sharing, coordination, collaboration, inclusive level of participatory last-mile local climate governance system is in place, local resource mobilization for the climate resilient local development actions, service delivery capacity stakeholders, and inclusive and finally the participatory engagement of last-mile stakeholders and frontline community with the localized risk-informed development initiatives. 

In Somalia,  the federal & state’s actors-led service deliveries to the last-mile are hindered by fragmented and self-proclaimed governance,  the clan-based fragility and territorial fragmented governance system, conflicts, largely silo approached CSO-led local development service deliveries. The diagram below shows that Somalia has a limited extent of nexus between the centralized nature of federal and member state governance systems, poorly functioning district local government, and sector departments to expand risk-informed service delivery at the last-mile. On the other hand, the most prominent last-mile development actors are INGO-led CSOs and UN Agencies, which mostly adopt a siloed approach and are less partnered with government actors.

Figure 2 : Political fragility and a centralized governance system( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

In this context, strategizing a stakeholder-inclusive multi-hazard early warning system and risk-informed local development will be complicated unless the ICT-driven digital multi-hazard risk governance system is explored to develop a digital nexus of the stakeholders, sectoral, and frontline communities.

  • Existing practices of the Silo-approach implementation modality:

Most actors at federal & state( sector ministry, sector department, district administration) & non-state( INGOs, CSOs)  risk-informed development activity go with a silo-approach, keeping minimal coordination, partnership, and minimal information disclosure, which essentially hinders the interactive and stakeholder-coordinated EW4ALL Pillar’s specific participatory actions. However, on the outset, the Multi-hazard and Climate risk management governance typically depends on agreed consensus on coordination, partnership, local governance system, local resource mobilization for the climate resilient local development actions, service delivery capacity stakeholders, and inclusive and participatory engagement of last-mile stakeholders and frontline community with the localized risk-informed development initiatives.  The figure 2 shows that Somalia government sector ministry/department has a limited extent of partnership nexus between the centralized nature of the federal and member-state governance systems, poorly functioning district local government, and sector departments to provide risk-informed service delivery at the last mile, and UN and other INGOs’ development efforts at the local level, which take a mostly siloed approach and dependency on  CSOs.

  • Sector level minimal level of data coordination, exchange, and disclosure:

Although having around 80% mobile users across the country, unfortunately, most of the climate vulnerable government sector departments at central, state and district level have limited level of use ICT systems ( hardware, software, and communication systems), Management Information System(MIS) for systematic inventorying of multi-hazard and climate risk information, lack of tailored risk information being disseminated through the organizational website. Inadequate data are sharing protocol/MoU, mandates by the central/state governments on multi-hazard risk assessment, tailor-made repository development, web-based data sharing, and disclosure for supporting the development of impact weather forecasts, risk-informed DRM planning at the local level.

  • Inadequate sector-level risk assessment, systematic risk repository development:

Disaster risk management planning requires tailored, localized risk information for the local disaster preparedness, response, and recovery planning level.  The department needs to access the information for planning purposes. By and large, the non-state actors, such as local NGOs, are the last-mile development actors. 

  • Inadequate surface weather observation:

Most weather observation stations are manual, and time-series data acquisition from them does not occur systematically and regularly. As a result, point-based nowcasting services are not happening, and forecast verification is also being hindered.  Due to inadequate institutional capacity, Somalia has limited hydro-meteorological data gathering, monitoring, real-time tracking, and forecasting. It is urgent that the WMO, UNDP and UNEP to close the climate and weather observations data gap of most severe shortfalls in observations, and prioritizing EW4ALL Pillar-2 and to call the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) long-term financial and technical assistance to support the generation and sharing of basic weather and climate observations, according to the internationally agreed Global Basic Observing Network (GBON) regulations.  

In Somalia, the GBON-compliant limited extent of hydrometeorological observation capacity is due to insufficient automatic hydro-meteorological stations on the ground, manual data reading, data transmission difficulties, and regular operation and maintenance support.  Hydrometeorological data gathering, monitoring, and forecasting in real-time tracking, exchange of information, and forecasting are limited due to insufficient automatic hydrometeorological stations on the ground and the limited capacity of their systems in hydrometeorological forecasting.

  • Inadequate local-level Disaster Risk Management capacity

The magnitude and trend of climate risks are mounting with the changing climate regime in Somalia. Over the past 48 years, statistics of disaster events show that most of the disaster events are rapid and sudden onset (floods, cyclones, diseases, outbreaks), and simultaneously, slow, protracted droughts are also severe and recurrent, as evidenced by the occurrence of hydrometeorological and agricultural droughts every year. These essentially contributed to the loss and damage of livelihood and productive sectors. Fundamentally, the graph signifies the essentiality of an ICT-driven functional early warning system. Climate change-induced internal and external displacement intensifies demographic and socioeconomic risk factors.

Figure 3: Somalia Disaster events (1975-2024) : Source EM-DAT     Apr 2024 ( 48 years Disaster incidence dataset for Somalia)

The Hydro-meteorological data gathering, monitoring, and forecasting in real-time tracking, exchange of information, and forecasting are in limited extent due to an insufficient number of automatic hydro-meteorological stations on the ground, manual data reading and data transmission difficulties, regular operation and maintenance support, and the limited capacity of its systems in hydrological forecasting. For Somalia to have robust weather forecasting and impact-based EWS, real-time monitoring systems for meteorological and hydrological conditions must be strengthened by automating existing stations and installing new automated stations. This includes but is not limited to the development of real-time transmission of data for flood monitoring through expanding the spatial coverage of hydro-meteorological stations and upgrading the current quality and timeliness of the information.

  • Inadequate tailored, risk-informed planning and intervention: The county has yet to have sector-level institutional capacity in systemic climate risk assessment, risk repository, or tailored, informed-planning tools. There is less institutional accountability, mandates, an information management system, a policy framework, methodology tools, guidelines, and a task force for conducting sector-level risk assessment. The sector department is supposed to have a risk database, GIS at least for their repository, and supporting project design and implementation.

2.1 Recommendations for Overcoming the Indicative Challenges and exploring an ICT-driven multi-hazard risk management system can be implemented in the Somalia FCV context

  • Improving ICT-based risk governance at central, member state, regional, district, and village levels: The FCV context hinders the bottom-up and top-down development planning and intervention processes. On the other hand, disaster risk management always needs to address the emergencies induced by impending multi-hazards, as loss of lives is imminent.  Therefore, ICT tools-based governance systems can be used to close the risk-informed development gaps. The ICT-driven whole society approach is the most advanced and robust tool, where the community at the frontline is the first responder, along with other functional communities at the local level.  The first responder would be able to use the Online risk database to be interfaced with Kobo-toolbox and other survey and GPS placemark tracking apps
  • All the CSO-led stakeholders (CPC/DMC,  Village level government /Clan-based leaders, mosque based committee, local charities) would be able to conduct apps-based multi-hazard exposers, risk and vulnerability assessment, send georeferenced elements specific information during disaster onset, they will be able to send georeferenced disaster events hotspots, event situation awareness related information and concurrently all information to be disseminated to online/mobile apps for the whole-of-the-society awareness and resilience building, DRM, DRR.
  • The local CSOs, NGOs, academia, students, R & D organization, value chain operators, stakeholders, entrepreneurs, etc., would also be the key informants to provide/update the onset multi-hazard event situation during disaster emergency, on the regular basis the georeferenced elements specific climate/multi-hazard exposure information to central servers via apps.
  • Mandating Sector departments (Crop agriculture, livestock, WASH, water sector, health, and fisheries) to send elements of specific georeferenced climate exposure, risk, and vulnerability information to a central server via an online database system.
  • The Sector department would be able to interpret the sectoral elements’ exposure, risk, and vulnerability whenever they can access high-resolution spatiotemporal-scale weather warnings.
  • High-density, point-based surface observation and ICT-driven impact forecasts; sectoral element-level operational and impact forecasts; operational forecasts for basic service delivery structures (power stations, healthcare facilities, lifeline service delivery utility services); and point forecasts for high-value elements (city, municipality, urban centres, IDP, rural settlements).
  • The community will receive weather alerts through mobile apps, WhatsApp, SMS, IVR, and cell broadcasts, and receive the threshold level of impact forecast to take precautionary and preparedness measures. The Geospatial mobile apps will be able to provide GIS map-based emergency preparedness and evacuation advisories on where to take emergency shelters/core-family shelters.
  • ICT based management of disaster CPC/DMC with showing standing orders on disasters (SoD), tracking of all local actors/stakeholders on 5W manners to avoid duplication, overarching interventions and identifying the non-intervention and hard-to-reach areas
  • The ICT-based DRM system will conduct the RPDNA, quantify the initial L&DS statistics of lifesaving sectors, and identify required immediate emergency humanitarian responses, resource mobilization gaps, needs, priorities, etc.
  • The Local Civil Protection Committee (CPC) could disseminate end-to-end community-based early warning and concurrently develop forecast-based anticipatory action for the locality.
  • The ICT online dashboard will support the humanitarian community in developing forecast-based early anticipatory action in planning, implementing, and responding to disasters. For Pillar 4 interventions, the actors would be able to access online digital disaster emergency planning.
  •  Online apps for collecting Loss and Damage statistics from the community level:  The information can be validated from the crowdsourced big-data/information gathered by the app-based hazard L&Ds tracking system to understand the impending onset of disasters that induce damage and losses on the ground. The incident tracking and event situation updates provide the way forward to calculate the next level impacts over the changing scale intensity, frequency of the hazardous effects that continue ( flood, cyclone), and can support developing impact forecasts and event situations at the next level. This integrated impact analytical Informed decision forecast. Faisal’s action created an early action protocol informed decision-making for mobilizing humanitarian action on the ground. Which will. Remove the barrier of silos approach by implementing a centralized process.

2.2 Objective of the Interoperable NMHEWS for Somalia  :

  1. Online Multi-hazard risk information management system: Nobody knows who is doing what in a traditional emergency preparedness and humanitarian action coordination context. There is a huge institutional coordination gap among the stakeholders.

Multi-hazard risk management is typically a coordinated job in which, while the early warning is being issued, the next level pre-requisites translate impending-anticipatory risk into anticipatory actions, which require huge local-level coordination. The Interoperable system renders the integrated approach to workability of who will be doing what, where, when, and how, ensuring inclusive local-level participation.  The system can leverage the precision level information to formulate the response mechanism and be able to perform multiple tasks of impending multi-hazards, including the likelihood of impacts/L&Ds, and after taking landfall, what impacts are experienced at the frontline, what intensity and trail of L&Ds are taking place.

  • ICT system for disaster risk management:  Improving risk governance is an integrated job that requires last-mile engagement with the process, the ICT tools driven and interoperable early warning platform can keep every local level CPC informed about the impending hazard condition, and the community/frontline would be able to interpret the magnitude and intensity of the hazard risk, and accordingly, individual-level anticipatory action can be developed as part of an end-to-end early warning system.
  • Closing the list-mile risk information gaps: Designing online/Android apps and making frontline stakeholders, smallholder enterprises, humanitarian actors, and CPC volunteers as grass-roots level informants, and Inclusive digital participation in community local risk and vulnerability information and element-specific risk information.

2.3 Urgency of Implementation of ICT-based Multi-Hazard Risk Management Governance:

Climate change-induced multi-hazard management mostly depends on a systemic and structural approach in any country. Robust multi-hazard risk management governance mostly depends on an ICT-based structure and functional process to support the four Pillar actions: planning, task management, and mitigation.

Figure 4: ICT-based Risk Governance to bridge the last-mile climate risk management( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

The Somalian current multi-hazard risk management governance buildup on divergence patterns of governance( above figure) in which governments are tangled by the centralised and statehood policy and programmatic silo approach, poorly functioned local government system and CSO dominated last-mile development approach in which the central & state government system need to establish effective service delivery mechanism with ICT powered multi-hazard risk management and governance system.

Climate change-induced multi-hazard risk management depends on a country’s competence, ICT-powered risk management governance, inclusive stakeholders’ coordination and partnership, and mandated structural processes. Robust risk management governance depends on the highest ICT-based structure and functional processes to support the four Pillar actions.

The Somalian multi-hazard risk management governance system needs to build up from the multiple divergence patterns of governance e.g., centralised and statehood policy and programmatic silo approach, poorly functioned local government system and CSO dominated last-mile development approach in which the central & state government system need to establish effective service delivery mechanism with ICT powered multi-hazard risk management and governance system.  

The INGO-led local NGOs and CSOs are the last-mile actors for the multi-hazard risk-informed development. The central and state-level sector ministries and departments must close the gap by implementing an ICT-driven risk-governance management system. The figure below points out the governance gaps and emphasizes the ICT-based risk governance.  Figure 4 depicts how far the federal and state governments are lagging in bridging the last-mile multi-hazard risk-informed development, inadequate coordination, and partnership with last-mile CSOs in the given FCV context of Somalia.

2.4 Key indicators of ICT-driven EW4ALL action priorities for Somalia in FCV context.

Figure 5: Key indicators of ICT-driven EW4ALL action priorities( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

3.0  Pillar 1 Implementation Strategy (Improving Disaster Risk Knowledge):

Improving Risk knowledge  : Communities at the climate frontline need to understand the persistent and impending multi-hazard, socioeconomic, and other risk drivers in the locality. Localized online risk knowledge can boost their risk perception. Online apps-based information management and participatory risk and vulnerability assessment, participatory focus-group discussion, social vulnerability mapping, elements specific risk profiling, risk ranking and prioritization, etc.,  will help communities continue to monitor and learn about climate change and impending multi-hazard risks which they are likely to be exposed, anticipatory  Loss and Damage ( L&Ds), and identify potential preparedness,  response and mitigating actions.

Risk transfer and pre-arranged financing are critical to addressing capacity gaps and investing in the infrastructure required to implement, operate, and maintain MHEWS. This enables stakeholders to work alongside other mechanisms, allowing forecast-based Anticipatory Action (AA). For example, multi-hazard informed-social protection interventions can be integrated with disaster risk management and climate change adaptation measures to better anticipate and respond to all impending shocks.

3.1   The ongoing  SoDMA Structure :

The SoDMA developed organogram still has not positioned NMHEWC as a center of excellence for multi-hazard risk management.  The SoDMA organizational diagram shows that NMHEWC is not aligned as a separate entity and functional unit for handling early warning service delivery. Over the NMHEWC institutional human resources, the unit has some technical staff, but for full-scale operability, the center needs to recruit more thematic forecasters, numerical weather prediction (NWP) expert, meteorologist, hydrologist, impact forecasters, GIS & Remote Sensing Mapping Specialists, Database programmer, web programmer, geospatial programmer, ICT specialist, hazard risk specialist, DRR Specialist, Risk communication specialist etc.

However, in terms of multi-hazard early warning operational capability, the center still needs an intensive ICT structure, robust datacenter and high-speed internet connectivity (Tier 3 or 4) technical specialization for hazard risk management, HPC ( higher Processing Computing) servers, GSM Modem for spreading mobile messages, big-data and crowd-source data capture, analysis,  hazard detection & analysis from crowd source observation data, and enhanced institutional capacity to handle the multi-hazard early warning service deliverability.

Figure 6 : Ongoing SoDMA Structure

3.2   The NMHEWC ongoing operational structure : 

Under the existing structure, the center has a limited operational capacity. The ICT structure and process are very initial and insufficient to run the center with multitasking capability. Currently, the center has the following hardware and service deliverability: The center runs as an isolated and intranet workstation modality for SoDMA internal use only. The department sector cannot digitally access the forecast output, bulletin, and resources because there is no online data center, and online systems are not functional except the SoDMA portal, which has organizational highlights.  Therefore, the NMHEWC product and services are limited to  SoDMA use only. The following are the types of workstations used.

  1. 7 HP PRODESK (Processor i5, RAM 8GB, Windows 10 Pro): These computers are low-configured and have little processing power for multitasking. The workstation-specific tasks are designated as follows;
  1. HP PRODESK-1 Running the Zoom Earth live weather map
  2. HP PRODESK-2 Maintain an Excel sheet on Rain Gauge data of 40 rain gauge stations (decadal dataset)
  3. HP PRODESK-3  Running  GFS weekly forecast
  4. HP PRODESK-4  Running  WFP PRISM  System on the climate risk monitoring system. The system shows 10-day rainfall forecasts (GFS Global decadal forecasts), rainfall anomaly, SPI, last rain days,  temperature, phase classification, earthquake disaster assistance global system, customized global system cascading data used social economic vulnerability data ground truth Layers, rainfall, temperature, NDVI, SPI. Social economic vulnerability etc.  
  5. HP PRODESK-5 Running  ICPAC East Africa hazard watch and weather forecasts  
  6. HP PRODESK-6  Running Drought Monitor portal  
  7. HP PRODESK-7  Running  myDEWETRA global platform of CIMA Research Foundation
  • 4 HP Desktop Computers (Processor i7 8Gen, RAM 16GB, Windows Home) : Uses for hazard analysis
  • 1 PC Running DesInveter online database: Update and maintenance DesInventer online database

Figure 7 : Ongoing NMHEWC structure

The above diagram shows that NMHEWC currently has a preliminary service delivery capability on multi-hazard risk management.

  • Data center capability: The center does not have any designated Server for data processing and analytics
  • Data Storage: Does not have any Server and storage devices for data storage 
  • Software: Having ArcGIS 10.4, QGIS software
  • Internet Backbone: The center is connected to a local broadband cable with limited internet bandwidth, which can support one-way internet traffic only. The center does not have an online database server for external data access.
  • Data exchange, coordination, and partnership with other stakeholders: No ICT-online database dissemination system, no formal MoU mandates with other sector ministries and non-state actors for information exchange and coordination. No formally designated risk and vulnerability assessment committee, structure, methodology, or tools for Post-disaster damage, loss, and needs assessment (PDNA). The information is collected by engaging local enumerators and mosque imams as primary informants for sending information to the district administration.
  1. Desinventar database: Currently, the center updates and maintains L&D information with Desinventar database. The archives have L&D statistics from 2021.
  • National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC): NEOC operates separately and is located outside of SoMDA Complex. NEOC works on Somalia’s ad hoc Emergency response to a well-prepared and structured response to any natural, man-made, conflict, or Climate change-related hazards and shocks. NEOC remains in its role of Preparedness and coordination.

3.3 Proposed Interoperable NMHEWS :

The deployment of proposed  NMHEWS is basically an operational shift from a centralized controlled physical operational NMHEWC ( limited capacity ) to a robust ICT-driven interpretable multi-hazard early warning system(MHEWS) with concurrent multitasking capability, relational database management system (RDBMS), database interface with online portal and online apps, big data collection system with mobile apps, survey data collection with mobile apps (user-friendly apps), geolocation place mark tracking with ESRI Survey 123, GPS logger, Qfield, etc. The system will be an online platform connecting every government actor, non-state actors (CSOs), stakeholders, enterprises, private sectors, etc., digitally, and last-mile stakeholders and individuals. The system will promote an inclusive and integrated digital organization and overcome all procedural and institutional coordination and barriers to the disaster risk management (DRM) system.

The proposed system will work as a command-and-control system; the risk information will come directly from the primary informant, the grassroots-level households/community. Secondary informants would be the stakeholders and service providers at the last mile, and tertiary informants would be the district administration, sector extension departments, city, municipality, urban-level actors, etc. The system will have real-time oversight capacity, hazard event tracking, and real-time dissemination.

For overcoming the institutional partnership and coordination barriers on climate and multi-hazard risk information exchange and mandating stakeholders in multi-hazard risk information management, the following are the recommendations ;

3.3.1 Establish a digital partnership among the stakeholders and prime actors:

  • Mandating stakeholders and partners to provide information proactively and to update recurrently.
  • Facilitate unlimited sessions on particular GIS maps with impact interpretations at different capital stages of high-impact forecasted lead-time and lifecycles with advisors, warnings, and alerting by plotting hotspots over the map and record keeping for future uses. 
  • Online data communication and sharing facility.
  • Online dashboard control panel for constant monitoring of stakeholders’ activities, who provide what type of information
  • Volunteers and smallholder farmers, herders living in remote areas, even without cell networks, can capture information offline and transmit it while accessing cell phone networks.
  • Capture crowd-sourced multi-hazard incident data from social networks for event situational update
  • A household with apps can send georeferenced information, such as disaster incidence information, with geolocation.
  • Every stakeholder should easily understand the roles and responsibilities of risk data capture, impact interpretation, technical briefings, information update/upload, and dissemination.
  • An online forum group allows experts/specialists/crowdsourcers to provide useful input and exchange knowledge, ideas, expertise, intelligence, and best practices concerning natural hazards.
  • Process-centric Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) risk information communication, input data access, GIS-based interpretation, and direct uploading to the platform for dissemination is the one-stop solution for  IBF
  • Provide a timely, familiar, and consistent source of advice to government and emergency responders for civil contingencies and disaster response.

Figure 8: Diagram of proposed digital Partnership and Coordination with the Sector agency, INGOs, UN Agencies  ( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

3.3.2 Design and implementation of an Interoperability Online geospatial system:

•  Develop an integrated remote and digital partnership with all climate-vulnerable sector ministries, local government /public administration, and the CSOs, the Private sector is to play a pivotal role in the multi-hazard early warning operational value chain

•  Design, development, and implementation of the online database, geospatial maps with a geospatial database, and a spatial information system so that every key stakeholder can contribute to an integrated

•  The sector department is to be mandated to conduct Climate and weather risk and vulnerability assessment on the sector level elements, develop a risk repository, and share with the platform

•  Acquire time-series and real-time ECV weather parameters and climate information services by upgrading surface observation with AWS.

•  Multi-hazard risk information collection, hazardous situations, and disaster incidence tracking

•  Promoting point forecast of high-value elements ( city, municipality, IDPs) , nowcasting, multi-hazard  detection, tracking, and hazard impact analysis

•  Data and Information coordination and deployment of impact-based forecasting ( IBF) online platform. Currently, the UNDRR-CREWS initiative is supporting the SoDMA in this regard. 

•  Organise regular workshops/consultations/seminars/Meetings to improve service delivery:

•  Installation of  ground-level hybrid  observation mechanism 

  • Scale-up and disseminate the CREWS Initiatives’ myDEWETRA forecast output to the online  interoperable platform for tailored multi-hazard risk management and impact forecasting  to general audiences

3.4  : ICT Structures  of Interoperable Online NMHEWS Platform:

Integrated ICT Structures for IBF Platform: An integrated information and communication technology-based IBF platform is required to manage impact forecasting, data coordination, partnership development, expertise opening sharing, and integrated collaboration efforts of partners.

 An ICT-enabled open-source GIS platform would suit weather data acquisition from a hybrid system( figure 18), extreme weather-induced multi-hazard incidence tracking, forecasting, impact analysis, and delivery/dissemination of classified and useful climate information services to the end users and the climate frontline community. j

Figure 9: Diagram of ICT system structure and process  for an interoperable MHEWS( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

3.5 Proposed capacity-building plan for technical experts :

UNDRR CREWS has already started capacity building for relevant institutions as part of the process. Table Top Exercise(TTX)  training is being imparted to  SoDMA NMHWEC’s technical staff to contribute to operationalizing and assessing multi-hazard Early Warning and Early Action Systems (EW-EAS).

Further capacity building will be imparted to other relevant sector departments. The proposed Training of Trainers (ToT) programme for enhancing stakeholders’ capacity in  Impact Forecasting capability may be given to the following stakeholders.

Table: Proposed CREWS Initiative Training participants

Sector Ministry /Department Type of Staff Type of Training
Ministry of Energy & Water Resources[1]Hydrologists (2)Meteorologists (1)GIS &RS Expert (3)Water ResourcesTOT/TTX
Ministry of Agriculture and IrrigationTechnical ExpertIT ExpertComputer ProgrammerTOT/TTX
Ministry of Livestock, Forestry, and RangeIT/MIS ExpertTOT/TTX
Ministry of Health and Human ServicesDistrict health information system (DHIS2) expert IT ExpertTOT/TTX
Ministry of Environment and Climate ChangeIT ExpertTOT/TTX
Ministry of Fisheries and Blue EconomyTechnical staff of the Department of Information & TechnologyTOT/TTX
Ministry of Planning, Investment, and Economic DevelopmentManagement Information System (MIS) OfficerTOT/TTX
National Communication Authority (NCA)ICT expertsTOT/TTX
FM Radio/Satellite TV Broadcasters/News AgencyWeather Forecaster/MeteorologistIT ExpertTOT/TTX
FAOGIS Experts ( 5) Remote Sensing  Experts (2) GNSS Surveyor (engineering survey) ( 2)TOT/TTX
WFPGIS Experts Remote Sensing  ExpertsTOT/TTX
UNDPGIS Experts IT ExpertTOT/TTX
University, Academia, R&D organizationFaculty member of hydrology, meteorology/geography, Water resource engineering/ civil engineering/ agriculture engineering, etc.TOT/TTX

3.6 Implementation of Open-Source Geospatial Platform :

The functional paradigm of  IBF is to establish a digital relationship among the partners, with easy plug &  play interfaces that allow partners/ sector departments to access forecast data directly (publicly available)   with opensource GIS software( QGIS/ArcGIS), overlaying CSV/Shapefile of weather(  temperature, precipitation, wind, and other multi-hazard parameters/variables)  impact threshold with color-coded areas with sector & elements( water, livestock’s, agriculture, soil, land management, infrastructures, and communication elements are falling under the pink color, red, orange, yellow and green zone with numerical/amount of yield interact over the ground and impacting of types of elements and with spatiotemporal level.  

All sector departments should be capitates to use the open-source geospatial Platform to avail themselves of the benefits of data sharing, online mapping, flexibility, and cost efficiency with the least-cost solutions (purchasing some APIs, e.g., Google Earth, Google Earth Engine, leaflet, Open Layer, open street map, etc.  ). Those can be anchored with the integrated IBF platform quite easily and completed hassle-free.

3.6.1  Component of Open-Source Geospatial Platform:

  1. Installation  of Geonode Server

GeoNode is a web-based application and platform for GIS maps and web-based mapping services. It allows for the integrated creation of GIS feature shapefiles, data, metadata, and map visualization. Each dataset in the system can be shared publicly or restricted to allow access to only specific users(partners /Sector Department). Features like user profiles, providing technical narratives, file uploading, commenting, rating systems, etc., allow for quick input from partners/users.

3.6.2       Installation  of Geoserver :

GeoServer is an open-source geospatial tool. Implementing the system will significantly lower the financial barrier to entry when compared to proprietary GIS products. In addition, GeoServer is not only available free of charge but also open source. Bug fixes and feature improvements in open-source software occur transparently, often at an accelerated pace compared to closed software solutions.  GeoServer is a Java-based server that allows users to view and edit geospatial data. Integrate With Mapping APIs. Using open standards set forth by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), GeoServer allows for great flexibility in map creation and data sharing.

GeoServer allows us to display spatial information to the world. Implementing the Web Map Service (WMS) standard, GeoServer can create maps in a variety of output formats.  The server supports most of the available tools e.g. OpenLayer, leaflet, Google Maps, Google Earth, Microsoft Bing Maps, and MapBox, etc., and can connect with ESRI ArcGIS and QGIS software.

3.6.3       Anchoring Google mapping tools  :

  • Google Earth: For accessing Google map resources with very few subscriptions paying to Google, the IBF platform will be able to utilize all Google GIS features accessed by Geoserver, geonede server,  user end desktop QGIS and ArcGIS software( free)  for analyzing the impact of all elements, calculate/estimate impact number and types of elements are likely to impact, select particular elements are damaged, hotspot location of multi-hazards and publishing all impacts through MHEWS-IBF platform. 
  • Google Earth Engine:  Most powerful and up-to-date satellite images are included to analyze all the necessary features of crop- agriculture, livestock rangeland, vegetation coverage, waterbody, , land cover, land use, agroecology, soil degradation, desertification, etc., can be created by using the readily available code and necessary customization. By using this tool, the sector department will be able to define pasture biomass conditions, delineate pastureland areas with classification, and select cultivable forage cropping areas, water resources, etc, for weather and Climate-related risk and vulnerability analysis. 
  1. Google Common Alerting Protocol(CAP) – Public alert (Freeware)  :  Using the location information in a CAP alert allows Google Public Alerts to focus the display of an alert to users in a particular area. In addition to the user’s search term, the display is governed within Google Public Alerts by a relative priority based on CAP alert values such as Severity, Urgency, and Certainty, as well as date/time values. Users interested in all active alerts in an area can use the homepage at http://www.google.org/publicalerts.

3.6.4  Installation and Configuration of Surveying Apps.   

  1. Open Layer:  Open Layer is a client mapping web GIS application. Local volunteers/surveyors can use open layer apps to capture location and on-the-fly mapping, incorporating pictures and geolocation placemarks for GeoServer for publishing.
  • GPS data logger and GPS essential apps are alternatives to Open Layer and are the most useful surveying tools. It can capture any placemark(point), line (road network), and polygon features  ( Ger Location, grazing areas, Pasture location, river cross-section, can track vulnerable road, road network ) and save as kmz, kml format. In the given case, at the local level, the team (sector department-led technical group) asked any volunteers to send the placemark of IDPs/settlements location/herder grazing areas, multi-hazard affected areas e.g. flood/flash flood incidence place with geolocation captured photograph to send via WhatsApp/google drive/Facebook etc. for impact analyses, anticipatory action planning, contingency planning and, response financing. 

3.6.5  Deploying File-Sharing Tools :

An online web application will be developed and linked to a database server( MSSQL/Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, etc.). However, the sector department needs to upload a GIS Shapefile, a CSV file, a picture, and documents to the geode and database server to support hazard impact analysis.

3.6.6 Implementing Web converting common alerting protocol (CAP )apps :

Several tools are available for developing CAP on marking the location of multi-hazards with thresholds of impact ( both in point and polygon shape files) that can be plotted with the map, with some technical briefing of color-coded thresholds over the map. The CAP-enabled emergency alerting system e.g. Google Public Alerts freeware, paid service like ESRI ArcGIS platform, etc.

3.7 Rationale of ICT-integrated Interoperable Online NMHEWS platform to support impact-based forecast (IBF):

ICT System: The basic principle of the MHEWS-Impact-based forecast (IBF) online platform is to shift from the regular pattern of weather forecasters ( what weather would be) to translating the weather phenomena to what weather will do and how it will interact with the ground. The complete functional system will be able to catch weather inputs and process with an ICT-engineered system capacity to interpret weather-induced advisories, anticipatory impacts, the severity of impending risks and vulnerabilities, and anticipatory loss and damage scenarios with higher spatial and temporal resolution for the vulnerable sectors, elements, and community.

  1. Installation of  ground-level hybrid  observation mechanism  :
  2. Considering  the multiple functionalities of the IBF system, from capturing the wide range of impact information from the ground, processing big data, inclusive participation of a wide range of stakeholders, and keeping the target audience updated about ongoing weather hazardous phenomena informed, IBF need to well interface with ground level hybrid  observations( figure 18) by engaging the community, sectoral technical experts working at the last-mile, volunteers, SoDMA designated technical and volunteering teams at the last-mile
  3. MHEWS-Impact-based forecast (IBF) online platform can leverage to deploy and activate crowd-sourced observation mechanisms for getting comprehensive and higher resolution of ground-level weather parameters, characteristic of extreme weather parameters on the prevailing conditions for better impact analysis and bringing detailed risk scenarios of the grounds, e.g., which elements are impacting at what level, etc.
  • Weather-induced risk and vulnerability tracking, interpretation, and dissemination :

A hybrid (figure 18 ) surface observation mechanism (AWS, manual met stations, crowdsource observations) essentially has a comprehensive observation for understanding the trend of weather patterns, extreme characteristics, frequency, and intensity. Based on weekly, monthly, sub-seasonal, and seasonal anomalies, and the incidence of multi-hazard events, develop a complete GIS map-based analysis disseminated through the online geospatial portal to keep the planning desk informed. This is a critical informed tool for planning tasks at every level so that every audience can understand the weather pattern, extreme characteristics, frequency, and intensity of weather-related hazards quite comprehensively for planning the SOP and business community plan for next season/ year accordingly.

  • Multi-hazard and disaster incidence and situation tracking and archive:
  • IBF needs to have a track record of how hazardous weather phenomena turn into multi-hazards and disasters, and the incidence of loss and damage (L&D) information required.
  • Leveraging the record keeping and disseminating a wide range of forecasting products, outlook, and advisories on weather, and simultaneously to the similar interpretation of observed weather.
  • Effective inputs for developing annual climatology, climate change paradigm from systematic surface observation, global and regional climate change model outputs, and creating comprehensive reports.
  • Scope of verification and retrofitting, and correctness of the Dynamical downscaling model:
  • Ground-level compressive observed weather phenomena, elements-level impacts, sectoral-level impacts, and loss and damage scenarios will be able to provide attribute information for model fitness, forecast verification, and bias correctness at the end of the day.
  • Leverage to develop the statistical model with the spatial and temporal resolution, high-resolution Dynamic downscale model on rapidly developing weather systems, e.g., Sand and dust storm, heatwave, dry spell, convective weather events (heavy rain, thunderstorm, hailstorm, lightning), severe thunderstorms, , high wind-induced impacts, heatwave, sand/dust storm) that have caused human lives and lost livestock.
  • Effective risk communication and sectoral coordination :

Leveraged to develop a complete culture of compliance with mandatory stakeholders’ interactivity to provide risk and vulnerability data inputs, risk interpretation of risk on every forecast, risk data coordination, and exchange of all relevant stakeholders. 

3.8 Improving Risk Knowledge of stakeholders

Given the multiple factors of the paradox of fragmented governance, diverse multi-hazard risk paradigm, climate impact, and conflicts, internal displacement triggered multiple-level risks and vulnerabilities to food security and livelihoods of the population living at the last-mile. The livelihood of the last-mile  Somalian climate frontline population is mostly agropastoral and impacted by the extreme weather events. But the frontline community has little access to climate early warning. FCV context governance paradigm attributes ICT-driven disaster risk governance as the tangible solution to reach out to the climate frontline community and make them the key informants for providing multi-hazard exposure, risk, and vulnerabilities, and keep them informed about the impending multi-hazards to get them well prepared to respond to the crisis management.    Figure 1 reveals that the state actor service delivery is inadequately decentralized, the field mission identified that the silo approached disaster risk management services being carried almost all actors are engaged. Ironically, the CSOs are the prime actors involved in last-mile disaster risk management and local development. The following options are harmonized for bridging the last-mile multi-hazard risk knowledge gaps.

  1. MHEWS connected ICT-based interactive mobile apps(GPS survey apps, Kobo-toolbox, GIS map Survey apps ) for connectivity with the last-mile climate-vulnerable community
  2. Conduct mobile apps based on climate exposure, risk and vulnerability assessment
  3. Conduct mobile apps for the VAC/actors, community based on RPDNA
  4. Develop mobile apps for the Crop-agriculture sector so that farmers as primary informants can send elements specific ( standing crops, water availability & stress, rainfall variability data, crop loss data, crop yields, pest manifestation, market price, L&DS, etc)  specific georeferenced risk and vulnerability information and receive classified risk information for risk management and resilience building.
  5. Improve national broadcasting for enhancing disaster risk knowledge, emergency preparedness, response, recovery, emergency evacuation, etc.

3.9 Improving Sector Value Chain Operators’ Risk Knowledge:

Rationale for transforming into ICT-driven multi-hazard risk governance.

  1. Government state actors lack ( MoPIED) ICT-driven risk knowledge management capacity, developing inter-sector coordination, and a partnership mechanism for climate risk information sharing. They also lack a management information system for inventorying risk information at the institutional level.
  2. Poor information management staffing patterns, inadequate ICT equipment, and an MIS system for inventorying the elements’ hazard impacts.
  3. Post-disaster L&Ds assessment is being conducted through part-time enumerators, inadequate tools, methodology, and process, and elements specific georeferenced information is not collected to support next-level impact forecasts of impending hazardous weather.
  4. Establish digital formal coordination and partnerships among state actors, non-state actors, and the private sector to collaborate and coordinate last-mile risk information management and develop tailored informed planning tools for the DRR/CCA scheme design and implementation.
  5. MoU and mandates for State control and private broadcasters and telephone companies do not have an accountability framework. The regulatory authority (NCA) is imposing mandates for the last-mile actors to hold accountable for time-series wealth forecasts, special weather bulletins, weather warning message broadcasting, dissemination, etc.
  6. Risk-informed tools, evidence-based tools to improve state actors’ policy, mandates, institutional accountability, and support for  fiscal resources to mobilize for the last-line risk-resilient development (DRR,CCA, NbS)
  7. Expect some humanitarian assistance ( food) the government lacks of fiscal incentives for implementing climate-adaptive livelihood interventions for the frontline community

3.10 Following are the recommendations for Disaster Risk Knowledge Management Governance

The proposed Online MHEWS platform has a multifaceted and multitasking capacity. It allows the stakeholders to work remotely and contribute data, information,  and updates to the platform regularly. The system will facilitate a multi-hazard risk repository and a risk knowledge bank that are precursors to instrumentalizing the EW4ALL systemic functionality, in which Somalia needs to overcome institutional task management barriers.  

  1. Improving data-driven decision making: The climate vulnerable key sector ministries, e.g., MoHADM ( SoDMA ) , MoEWR, MoAI, MoLFR, MoH, MoFBE, etc, establish a national climate risk and vulnerability assessment committee (VAC)/Taskforce team represented by sectoral technical experts/stakeholders. Somalia needs consensus and agreement among the state actors, humanitarian actors, stakeholders, UN agencies, INGOs, local NGOs, and CSO engagement over risk assessment, as well as collecting locally sourced climate data. The ICT online database system and process would support a national statistical data clearinghouse for conducting census surveys and collecting disaggregated sex, age, and disability (SADD) data from the community and household levels. The roadmap intended to establish and mandate accountability of institutional/stakeholders for the collection of climate risk and vulnerability disaggregated datasets on agriculture, water, livestock, fisheries, agroforestry, WASH, health,  physical infrastructures & communication, municipalities & urban centers, commercial hubs, IDP, human settlements, and housing sectors need to provide supports for developing climate and multi-hazard risk maps, risk and vulnerability profiling, and repository development. The UN Cluster system proposed that the essential inputs can support government disaster risk management and development framework, state actor-driven humanitarian action, and national risk management coordination framework.

Figure  10: Disaggregated data collection framework for collection of Age, sex, disability disaggregated data(SADD) , sector-level elements specific attribute data  ( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

  • Establish digital partnerships and coordination: The system will be able to hold every stakeholder accountable for conducting multi-hazard risk assessment and risk knowledge management. It will work as a de facto platform for connecting state & nonstate actors, and private sector climate risk and vulnerability assessment, RDPNA, and PDNA, and risk knowledge management at the local levels. Establish adequate consensus and agreement between state actors, humanitarian actors, stakeholders, UN agencies, INGO consortium, local NGO consortium, and CSO engagement over risk assessment, as well as collecting locally sourced climate data.
  • Developing GIS-based risk atlas & Database: All climate-vulnerable sector departments need to coordinate all basic inputs to develop a geospatial database, a GIS-based map, a District-level GIS-based map, and a risk atlas for analyzing GIS-based multi-hazard risk and vulnerability, developing informed tools for disaster preparedness and humanitarian response planning, and preparing the Hazard database.
  • MIS & GIS set up at local level sector departments: Install MIS & GIS systems at the district administration and sector department levels to analyze GIS-based multi-hazard risk and vulnerability, inadequately informed tools for disaster preparedness, and humanitarian response planning.
  • Establishment of Vulnerability Assessment Committee (VAC):

This is an important organ for Risk assessment. Most urgently, the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Committee (RVAC) should be established with representatives of all stakeholders (mentioned in the above disaggregated data collection framework). The online database and apps will support the management of the RVAC committee, and all the stakeholders, representative groups, smallholder farmers, fishermen, herders, IDPs,  other livelihood groups, and individuals would be the primary informants to send the elements specific information through customized survey apps( Kobo-Toolbox).   It can be conducted remotely following the functional community-level climate /multi-hazard risk and vulnerability assessment framework.


[1] Proposed by MoEWR

Figure 11: Community Risk Assessment Framework( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

Table:  Tools to facilitate the RVAC team to conduct the  assessment

Element-specific dataset Mapping Supports Technical Training Support to RVAC Local CPC at the City, Municipality, and community level Areas of Assessment
Sector-specific elementsUN Agencies :    INGOs               : Local Governments (City  Corporation/ Municipality/Clan System)     Government Sector Departments  at the sub-national level University Students           Commercial entrepreneursTelecom Companies Institutes Colleges Local IT CompaniesIT expert working with CSOsOther relevant  agency      Technical training on Online OpenStreetMap( www.openstreetmap.org )  community mapping  A pool of Somali technical Experts residing in the USA, Canada, Europe, and other countries to assist in data analysis GIS Specialist/experts of sector departments, University Faculty, College Faculty, and individual expertsLocal IT CompaniesIT/GIS Experts of UN AgenciesIT/GIS Experts of INGOsIT/GIS Experts of CSO    CPC/DMC at the City level, CPC/DMC at the Municipality level, CPC/DMC at the Community level to facilitate the frontline community for inventorying all elements relating to their livelihood security, food security ,and built environmentMIRA, RPDNA PDNADINA, Community CRVA, Sector level CRCV  

3.11  Review  Stakeholder Partnership & Coordination Mechanism       

The full-scale implementation of EW4ALL Pillar Actions requires indispensable coordination and service delivery capacities to mandate the connectedness of sector ministries, sector-engaged stakeholders with the system, and ensure that it remains operational for demand-driven service deliveries. The engineering aspect of the MHEWS platform is design an ICT-enabled robust architecture for optimum operability with interfacing multiple sources of information and recurrent processability, and the IBF product output system optimally works on an interactive partnership of stakeholders across the country. The sector-specific impact level analysis of the hazardous weather parameters sought the involvement of designated specialized government national hydrometeorological organizations (NMHS), sectoral departments, R&D organizations & specialists, academia, mandated partners, commercial stakeholders, herders, and the vulnerable community to contribute inputs for making IBF readily available and on time. 

Figure 12: Stakeholder map (Proposed)

Mandating the stakeholders above through a set of standard operating procedures (SoP ) viably to a common consensus of a proactive, time-critical partnership and collaboration amongst the wide range of technical partners and agencies engaged in meteorology, climatology, hydrology, disaster risk management, local government sectors, pre-disaster risk assessment group, post-disaster damage, loss, and needs assessment (PDNA) group, disaster first-responders, vulnerable community, herders group, etc., for the contribution.  The IBF system thus ensures functional partnership by encouraging stakeholders to access the platform with a sense of ownership, imperatively to demand-driven weather information service delivery for the MHEWS required data/information process, informed tools development, and deliverables to climate & disaster emergency management.

The IBF process depends on the multifaceted, interactive, functional, regular, and proactive coordination mechanism amongst all stakeholders. The data-sharing protocol for the MHEWS-led impact forecasting process. The MHEWS needs to classify the stakeholder categories, the responsibilities over risk information coordination, risks, and impending impact interpretation over the imminent onset of extreme weather events, and manage the risk and vulnerabilities of induced disaster.

3.12   Partnership for Data Coordination and Exchange Mechanism

The initial MHEWS-IBF workflow analyzes the impacts of impending extreme weather that has just been forecasted. Still, the whole IFB mechanism demands multiple layers of information, e.g., requisites of background risk & vulnerability datasets are essential. The IBF process comes across over the steps and primarily to do a background check of the persistent risk and vulnerabilities being inherited from the landscape, local weather & climate system, and inbuilt environmental context, and secondly to estimate the risk, vulnerability, exposure, and sensitivity over the standing elements(annexure 1)  at the event of impending extreme /hazardous weather are likely to be interacting with the ground, thirdly, stakeholders need to know how and what level of frequencies of the extreme weather events are turning multi-hazards. Finally, the whole MHEWS mechanism needs to track hazardous events until they dissipate and take stock of the trail of L&D being yielded by the localized disaster.

( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam)

Considering the above functional steps, the IBF workflow is segmented into several workstreams, and at any given stage, stakeholder engagement is critical. The integrated impact-based forecast(IBF) process needs to depend on an input system of data capture, repository, and archives of root-level sectoral and element risk and vulnerability data for the purpose-driven IBF process. The partners and stakeholders must supply their climate risk and vulnerability (CRVA)  data and information to review the persistent risks and vulnerabilities and push for recurrently updating information to the IBF system.

For analyzing the high-impacts, the IBF impact analysts(meteorologists)  team always needs to do the background checks (from the impact database) for similar weather events being anticipated and impending as high-impact weather conditions. The partnership process to be mandated by the essential background (risk repository development and understanding)  works need to be done by the partners for strengthening the IBF process, as it is such a hybrid process that forecasters, sector/elements risk & vulnerability analysts always need to be well concerted with climate change impacts, climate variables/parameters, weather, impending multi-hazards, spatiotemporal impact interpretation, weather risk and vulnerability assessment and risk prioritizations. 

All participating stakeholders/partners/authorities/vulnerable communities are to be mandated to contribute elements specific to baseline risk and vulnerability information for the effectiveness and efficiency of the system- IBF partnership mechanism. The partnership mechanism renders two-way communication, e.g., giving the inputs baseline risk, vulnerability geolocation information of every element, and harmonizing the risk-informed tools, benefiting the sectoral planning process, which continues even after the development and implementation of impact-based forecasting services. Members of the partnership can monitor the effectiveness of forecasts and warnings and provide feedback for improvement.

Partners have important roles in risk communication and analyzing the impact on forecasts and warnings. Essential partners are to be mandated with responsibilities for early actions to prepare for and respond to hazardous weather and climate events. These actions include advising vulnerable communities on what to do in extreme weather or climate events, combining partners’ anticipatory advice with impact-based advice.

3.13 Upgradation and Activation of Interoperable Situation Room and  NMHEWS at NMHEWC of SoDMA:

Diagram of Interoperable Situation Room at NMHEWC of SoDMA and online MHEWS design  being proposed in such a way that it would have digital connectivity with all internal and external data sources.

  • Establish a robustly configured online interoperable NMHEWS system to access weather parameters of Somalian terrestrial weather, hydromet observation network, and the acquisition of the time-series weather ECV parameters, data calibration, colligation, parameter aggregation, etc.  
  • Establish API data Linkages with the regional weather/climate information data hubs (ICPAC), essentially to inform the weather & climate warning system
  • Establish API data Linkages to access real-time ECV & weather parameters from the transboundary ( Ethiopia & Kenya) observation networks ( heavy rainfall data, flood level data, catchment area hydrological datasets, river level datasets, wind speed, drought, storms etc.)
  • Establish API data Linkages to access WMO’s regional DCPCs, RSMC, WMO Information System (WIS) network, WMO GTS network, EUMETCast data hubs, and ECMWF data hubs.
  • Establish linkage with  the Indian Ocean Tsunami Alert Center in Jakarta, Indonesia.
  • Accessing and anchoring UN Agency produce risk information repositories – FAO, WFP,     Anchoring FAO-SWALIM, IOM-DTM (Displacement Tracking matrix), UNHCR Operational data portal, WFP( Food Security ), WFP Logistic network/telecommunication system, WASH Cluster database, CREWS Initiative, RIMES, CIMA Research Foundation myDEWETRA, ICPAC forecast/outlook,  Education Cluster Database, UNICEF-MICS, World Bank ( GFDRR, Databank), UNOCHA -INFROM, Food Security and Analysis Unit (FSNAU) & IDEA of FAO, IFRC-Anticipatory Hub, USAID-FEWSNET, Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF)etc., for feeding information in integrated multi-hazard early warning system (MHEWS & impact forecasting support.
  • Accessing real-time satellite-based atmospheric observation systems, installations of  PUMA (Preparation for the Use of Meteo-sat in Africa) 2025 satellite links (EUMETCast, ECMWF, European Met services, NOAA, Indian Ocean network, The Regional Basic Climatological Network (RBCN ), Global Terrestrial Network – Rivers (GTN-R), etc., for the acquisition of Basic Hydro-Meteorological Data (BMD).
  • The EW4ALL interoperable Situation room is intended to support the four pillars actions by supplying climate risk information, tailored, informed  tools, complementing the EW4ALL action and process ;

3.14 NMHEWS responsibilities for improving risk knowledge :

3.14.1  Understanding Disaster Risk of the Locality

Underlined all the crucial stakeholders engaged in the last-mile disaster risk management that they need to have a clear understanding of the landscape vulnerability of their locality, persistent residual risk & vulnerabilities in the given case of multi-hazards already impacting the landscape with intensities, the elements were exposed to, and came under L&D, all those factors need to be well understood by the last-time stakeholdres/actors. Following local stakeholders, the sector extension department, the local CPC, and stakeholders must understand the climate risk and vulnerabilities.

Figure 13 : Local stakeholders

3.14.2     Frontline community needs to understand Disaster Risk in their Locality :

The frontline vulnerable community is constantly addressing the persistent and impending climate and multi-hazard risk phenomena to sustain their daily livelihood and safeguard their livelihood assets. But the global climate perturbation and local level effects are increasingly threatening food &  livelihood security in the long run. Therefore, the community needs to understand and remain aware of the risk drivers of the locality and what factors affect the displacement of the vulnerable community. Given the Somalian landscape’s vulnerability to arid and desert climate, which returns with persistent drought and an arid environment in the Horn of Africa. The increased intensity and frequency of El Niño and La Niña contribute to hazardous weather events like heavy rainfall-induced flooding and harsh droughts in the areas.

Due to the vast elongated coastline of the Horn of Africa, the Coastal cities, townships, and dispersed settlements of the countries are highly vulnerable to another inter-tropical convergence zone tropical storm of the western Indian Ocean, accompanied by storm surges, which can potentially cause huge L&Ds. Considering the diverse and rapidly changing climate conditions, the most appropriate solution to keep the frontline informed is the deployment of ICT enabled multi-hazard early warning system and end-to-end early warning mechanism, multi-hazard risk-assessment capacity and micro-level community based forecasts, standard alerting system will support the community in undertaking anticipatory action, and appropriate adaptive preventive measures are required for saving lives and properties. 

3.14.3     Enhancing the risk knowledge of Smallholder crop farmers:

 In Somalia, the country’s economy mainly depends on livestock, crop agriculture, and fisheries. Those elements boosted the rural economy. Smallholder farmers can hardly access tailor-made weather and climate information, weather warnings, and precision-level multi-hazard early warnings to prepare for and respond to impending hazardous weather. In the long run, they must protect their livelihood assets (crop-agriculture, livestock, fisheries, agroforests, fruit gardening, etc.), which requires a precision level and specific early warning and services with anticipatory actions.  Smallholder and commercial farmers’ value chain operators must understand localized weather anomalies. Still, the precision level of weather forecasts and alerts enables them to take anticipatory actions and make adaptations.

The anticipatory action planners, value chain operators, commercial entrepreneurs, market promoters, sector extension officers, frontline smallholder farmers, and livestock herders need to have elements of specific ground-level time-series information provided by the farmers

Elements What would be the case in the event of hazardous impending weather? What would be climatic shocks, residual impacts on the elements Proposed Anticipatory Action ICT tools for climate risk management
  ExposureSensitivityVulnerability Risk  
Crop Maize,  bananas, sugarcane, rice, cotton, vegetables, grapefruit, mangoes, and papayas,Dry spells are forecasted% Volume of crop land will be exposed?Is the variety of crops sensitive to dry spells? Will the level of crop be able to sustain a dry spell?After 3 weeks, supplemental irrigation to be provided for crop survivalWhich Crop variety can sustain 3 weeks with dry spells because of drought-tolerant varieties?Crop withstanding capacity against hazardous weather (rank)% of yield lossBased on elements-specific data from the ground, the AA team would be able to provide precision-level advisories on any impending weather conditions and actions are required to save the elementsMaking farmers and livestock herders the primary informants and using ICT apps-based tools with two-way communication 
Livestock ( cattle)Heatwave/Dry spells are forecastedNumber of cattle will be exposed to dry spells/heatwaves, and health hazards are reported?Based on the health condition % the percentage of cattle   will be sick in the level of TampereSupplementary feeds and weather-protective livestock-yards/sheds are available to withstand the weather conditions  % of loss & damage are likely Based on elements-specific data from the ground, the AA team would be able to provide precision-level advisories on any impending weather conditions, and actions are required to save the elementsMaking herders as primary informants and with ICT apps-based tools with two-way communication 

All georeferenced, tailor-made information can be disseminated through online portals or mobile apps, with maps showing the impact of changing weather conditions. In this regard, ICT-based tools would be helpful as evidence-based anticipatory action planning for minimizing the loss and damage of productive assets/elements on the ground.

3.14.4     Climate Vulnerable Productive Sector Departments :

  1. Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment:

 Sectoral needs to understand the Exposure, Sensitivity, Vulnerability, and Risk of all the elements on the ground through the conducted locality risk assessment. The department must constantly be updated about weather anomalies, warnings, alerts, etc. The sector department needs to perform a climate risk and vulnerability assessment of sectoral elements, develop a risk repository, and maintain it in the weather hazard calendar and crop calendar.

 The most vulnerable sectors are livestock, crop agriculture, water, fisheries, and WASH. Sector-level stakeholders, such as lead farmers, smallholder farmers, commercial farmers, value chain operators, CSOs, community leaders, Mosque Imams, etc., should contribute sector-level risk and vulnerability information to enhance sector-level risk knowledge.

SectorElements Geolocation of elements Elements damaged by historical disasters & type of damage Climate exposureRisk RankVulnerabilitiesL&D statisticsHow to conduct the assessment
  Lat/Long      
Crop-agricultureAll types of cropsAgroecology-based croplandsSeasonal and Perennial rivers for surface irrigation Surface irrigation pointUnderground boreholeDug-wellWater body for irrigationCanal for irrigationLake  for irrigationPond for irrigationWater Point(Borehole ) for irrigationSpring for irrigationDug a well for irrigation  Present condition of elements with given hazardous weather parameters ( Heatwave, High winds, rainfall anomalies, localized storms etc.)Ranking elements with Very-high, high, medium, and low riskWithstanding capacity against the weather anomalies, hazardous weather parameters Lead-farmers, Heders, Fishermen, CSOs, Community leaders, Mosque Imam, Village-level committees  to update L&Ds weeklyCustomized mobile apps for facilitating the survey/assessment
LivestockCamel Cow harder shedBuffalo’sGoats have a harder shedSheep gave harder shedPoultry firmsGeolocation of herder firms      
WASHWaterpoint for IDPsCommunity borehole Rainwater Point FunctionalCommunity borehole Rainwater Point seasonally operational Abandoned boreholePipelined waterpoint Community WASH point with SchoolsDug well for IDPsHousehold level Dug well         
Water Sector hydrological resourcesCanalRiverLakePondSpring       
HealthHospital Rural ClinicUrban primary healthcare centerFamily Planning Center         

3.14.5     Improving risk knowledge of Civil Protection  Committee(CPC)/Disaster management Committee :

Somalia needs a Civil Protection Committee (CPC)/Disaster Management Committee to support the risk assessment, enhance community risk knowledge and risk perception, and support end-to-end and community-based early warning systems. The CPC/DMC needs to be the key informant, and the committee needs to be connected with ICT tools/mobile apps for sending community-level L&Ds information, event situations updates of multi-hazards turning into disaster events, community humanitarian needs and priorities, etc.

 

Figure 14 : Civil Protection  Committee(CPC) working framework ( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

Currently, SoDMA and other sector departments conduct limited extent post-disaster L&D assessments with support from the Mosque Imam during Friday prayers.  In the ICT based open-ended, MHEWS, every CPC stakeholder/participant will be able to act as a primary informant and source information for the society and can play a significant role  in local-level disaster risk management, be able to send event situation updates, send local L&D updates, and develop a local Disaster preparedness, response, and recovery plan.

3.14.6     Improving risk knowledge of Humanitarian actors  :

In the event of impending dangerous multi-hazards, humanitarian actors need to access time-critical impact forecasts for planning forecast-based immediate anticipatory action, considering the scale, intensity, and scalability of impending multi-hazards likely to cause L&Ds on the ground. ICT-based interoperable MHEWS  can improve risk information management and facilitate humanitarian action.   ICT-based georeferenced emergency management is required to conduct emergency preparedness and responses. IT apps based on 5W (Who, will be doing what, where, when, and how ) for intervention SoP and standing orders can avoid overarching planning, duplicity of actions, govern hard-to-reach areas, and uniformly mobilize humanitarian assistance at the last-mile.

3.14.7     Improving risk knowledge of entrepreneurs & Value Chain Operators

The Value Chain Operators and Entrepreneurs need to be updated about the weather forecast, as impending extreme weather events are likely to hamper their daily value chain operations and daily business, input supplies, output markets, as the Somalian economy largely depends on crop agriculture and livestock, etc., the weather risk-informed whole value chain operations.  The entrepreneurs need to know what extreme weather conditions can impact the market value chain, Process value chain, storage facility, etc. The precision level impacts weather forecasts and nowcasting services required for better operations to minimize the L&Ds and undertake cost-in-action based on the estimates.  

3.14.8     Improving risk knowledge of Local Governments ( City, Municipality, Urban councils ) actors to deal with the climate crisis

For inclusive and risk—informed local-level sectoral development planning, local governments (City corporations, municipalities, and towns) need to depend on tailored and climate risk-informed tools. In the Somali harsh climate regime, the landscape is highly vulnerable to climate change-induced multi-hazards.  Water and livelihood security for any given part of the country are in peril. Therefore, high-value elements, e.g., crowded cities, municipalities, etc., need point-based weather forecasts. The urban local government needs to conduct climate and multi-hazard risk and vulnerability assessments and to develop a repository of urban elements and  GIS maps (risk profile atlas ) showing impacts of multi-hazards and analysis on how these elements are getting vulnerable to flooding levels, landslides, dust and sandstorms, and other multi-dimensional risks of the locality.

GIS map-based multi-hazard maps, as well as a repository of elements of the local government, infrastructures, basic service delivery structures, and utility services ,etc., can support local government in risk-informed local development planning.  The dashboard on risk and vulnerability information, historical multi hazards background, Persistent climate risks and vulnerability, Changing climate and recurrence of the hazardous events, nature of impending multi hazards on the ground can support Government duty bearer and planning desk for risks informed Action planning, annual development programme (ADP),   Multi-year action planning and multifaceted development approach for the sectors.

3.14.9     Improving risk knowledge of Duty-Bearer/Local Disaster Management Committee (DMC)/Civil Protection Committee(CPC): 

CPC at the frontline can play a pivotal role in improving disaster risk knowledge of the last-mile frontline community and individuals. An ICT-based and online geospatial risk atlas, a risk database with attribute information on the elements, is easily accessible to the frontline community at the last mile actors, stakeholders, duty bearers, and the government itself, can be leveraged to improve disaster risk knowledge.   The whole society needs to understand the country’s persistent and impending climate risk and vulnerabilities to adapt their livelihood to the imminent crisis. The proposed system, having versatility, rendered an open-ended online platform, apps, and social networked tools to integrate social & human capitals( to motivate the community as first responders) to manage disaster risk at the neighborhood and community level.

The system will have traceability of 5W workstream (who is doing what, where, when, how ) as 80% mobile penetration is a great imperative to DMC/CPC for connecting the community via social networking tools, and the online DMC/CPC committee (WhatsApp, Telegram, Disaster Alert apps) will be able to interact with Online apps, the geo-spatial risk information portal. The local DMC /CPC can play a pivotal and participatory role in networking and mobilizing the community for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. The online interoperable MHEWS developed mobile apps, weather warnings, and alerts will support stakeholders in getting them well prepared for the impending multi-hazards. At the same time, they will be able to send risk data and L&D information to a central server for next-level preparedness and response planning using the apps. 

4.0 Pillar 2 : Improving surface observation, Monitoring, and Forecasting

4.1 The existing hydro met services- Somalia faces daunting challenges in implementing the Pillar

  • WMO still has not conducted Country Hydromet Diagnostics (CHD) assessments to stock take of functional stations of existing hydromet stations that are currently operational, and acquisition of the types of parameters of weather observation data. WMO essentially conducts CHD and determines the geographically positioned number of basic surface observation stations and automatic weather stations (synoptic capability) required for acquiring Essential Climate Variables (ECVs), requirements of EMMETCast atmospheric observation data acquisition, accessing the ECMWF Short-range forecast synoptic charts and forecast data, requirements of telemetry river level monitoring, and floating buoys-based sea-surface observation. By conducting all those assessments, WMO needs to develop a system upgrade strategy and improve weather observation and detection mechanisms.
  • WMO needs to conduct an assessment of the operational status of all installed Hydromet observation stations in Somalia and identify GBON (Global Basic Observing Network) standard, operational capacity, and type of instruments installed for the kinds of weather parameters data acquisition, review the sitting classification for the surface observations on stations on land, procedure for updating the guide to instruments and methods of observation, etc., and provide the necessary technical assistance and diagnostic reports for upgrading stations to  GBON standards. WMO to Develop a GBON compliance National observation network development plan with budgets based on the Somalian landscape, arid climatology, landcover types, and elongated vast sea proximity context, determine to identify and address type of observation, forecast model, impact-based forecasting, climate and hydrometeorological outlooks are being required for Somalia and close the  service delivery capacity gaps for priority hazards, such as heatwaves, floods, tropical cyclones, persistent and  flash droughts etc.,

4.1     Current forecasting mechanism of Somalia :

Currently, the national hydrometeorological working group of MoEWR acts as an ad hoc body for conducting observation and providing a limited extent of daily and weekly forecasting of rainfall, temperature, and operational flood forecasts, as shown in the following diagram.

 

Figure 15 : Current Forecasting Mechanism of Somalia   ( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

4.2 Indicative challenges in national forecasting service delivery :

  • The MoEWR led an ad-hoc hydromet Working Group, which is working independently to develop rainfall and flood forecasts disseminated through the FAOSWALIM web portal.
  • A few hydrometeor observation stations are acquiring rainfall  (AWS) parameters. ECVs are not observed across the stations, which is a significant backdrop of the unavailability of surface observations ECV parameters data, resulting in no nowcasting services, point-based forecasting, and forecast verification are not happening.
  •  The MoEWR needs depend on global forecast models (GFS, WRF) for forecasting, and the country still lacks a precision-level, spatiotemporal, high-resolution daily weather forecasting facility.
  • WMO has not conducted any diagnostic assessment of the operational status of all installed Hydromet observation stations in Somalia. This widens the considerable gaps in surface observations, improving nowcasting facilities and forecasting verifications.
  • Still, the country has not made a significant step forward in establishing institutional arrangements for the national meteorological-hydrological services ( NMHS) organization for FCV contextuality of the governance process.
  • There is still no partnership, collaboration, mandates, or coordination structure among central and state government actors to work collaboratively on improving national hydrometeorological services.
  • Still SoDMA/MoEWR having lacs of institutional policy and programmatic mandates and accountability for implementing core activities of improving weather observation, providing daily/weekly short-range forecasting, hazard monitoring, detection, and sharing output services for the wider root-level stakeholders and other relevant sector departments as risk mitigation efforts

4.3 Recommendations on improving  the national forecasting service delivery :

To overcome the complexities in partnership, collaboration, mandates, or coordination, consensus-building is emphasized to contribute to the implementation of national hydromet service deliverability. The tangible solution is implementing an ICT-Web-based system capable of handling interoperability and allowing multiple organizations and stakeholders to work together to deliver hydromet services, weather warnings, common alerts, and impact forecasting. The diagram below outlines an interoperable NMHEWC system with functional linkages with stakeholders through the ICT-online task management system and procedures.

Figure 16 : Proposed interoperable NMHEWC system for all actors and stakeholders to work together( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

The above functional diagram illustrates that the sectors need to contribute to an ICT-based interoperable MHEWS for improving the development of the impact and operational forecast value chain. 

  • Improving homegrown short-range forecasting Capacity. Implementing the UNDRR CREWS initiative to improve interoperable forecasting capability and Early Warning-based Early Action(EWEA) planning and implementation.
  • Improving FAOSWALIM’s current flood forecasts, developing transboundary data-driven flood forecasting, and precision-level flood warning of the two major river systems of the Juba and Shabelle Rivers of Somalia. 

Figure 17: Some of the Hydro-met stations managed by the MoEWR

4.4 Recommendations on improving the sector-specific national forecasting service delivery :

  1. Mandate relevant stakeholders ( state and non-state ) in collection and coordination of Crowdsource information onset of weather emergencies:  Developing district and community level crowdsource network ( WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Kobo-toolbox, SurveyMonkey, GPS logger, GPS essential) connecting all vulnerable herders, smallholder farmers, community, s, enterprises, CSO running projects team, lead farmers, financing institutions, credit operators, mobile baking outlets, insurance companies, etc., for collecting onset weather conditions,  impacts over the elements, onset-hazard event situation updates via interoperable NMHEWS running apps, social networking tools etc.
  2. Human-driven tracking of every on-set multi-hazard impacts/incidence is currently taking place on the ground, e.g., heavy-rainfall induced flash-floodings, sand & dust storms, thunderstorms, tornadoes & hailstorms, ongoing event situation, trails of loss & damage figures.
  3. Activating hybrid observations( AWS and human-driven)  for instantly tracking a convective weather system /rapidly developing weather conditions in any given season, damaging winds ( area of extent) induced storm, constant  windspeed, sand & dust storms, etc.,  monitoring,
  4. Setting up lighting detectors and other AWS sensors for tracking RDT near the high-value elements ( City, municipality)  
  5. Mandating volunteers to remain alert for collecting crowdsourced event situation/incidence (geolocation)

 

Figure 18 : Proposed hybrid observation mechanism( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

4.5 Recommendations on improving hydrometeorological services: :

  1. Installation of an independent National Meteorological Agency ( NMA) :
  • Installation of jointly operational and maintained by the key agencies, e.g.,  MoEWR, SoDMA, MoAI, MoLFR, MoH, MoFBE, for improving existing hydromet stations, upgradation of manual stations, and the newly installed AWS for the acquisition of ECVs.
    • Establish linkage with the WMO regional specialized meteorological centers (RMC).
    • Establish linkage with regional and transboundary NMHS organizations/networks.
    • Provisioning long-term operational budgets of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs)
    • Installation of real-time satellite-based atmosphere observation systems, Preparation for the Use of Meteosat in Africa (PUMA) 2025 satellite links (EUMETCast, ECMWF, European Met services, NOAA, Indian Ocean network, The Regional Basic Climatological Network (RBCN), Global Terrestrial Network – Rivers (GTN-R), etc., for the acquisition of Basic Hydro-Meteorological Data (BMD).
    • Improve the coordination mechanism of the weather /climate data information exchange and the coordination mechanism
    • Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) needs to be signed  between federal sector ministries, sector departments, and other stakeholders ( INGs, UN Agencies, CSOs
    • Improving the Hydrological Status and Outlook System (HydroSOS) with the implementation of CREWS initiatives
    • Installation of high-density AWS of GBON (Global Basic Observing Network) standard for acquisition of ECVs across the country
    • Observation data gathering  from hybrid sources ( livestock herders, smallholder farmers, marketplaces, cities,  municipalities, towns, ports, other KPIs for nowcasting, point-based forecasts and operational forecasts
  • Improving  homegrown short-range forecasting Capacity :

The table narrates how to improve forecasting capabilities as advised in the following.

Forecast input dataData providerForecast preparationImpact forecast support Forecast dissemination  support
Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) of atmospheric observationmyDEWETRAPUMA 2025 ECMWF Reanalysis v5 (ERA5)EUMETCastNOAA-CPC/netCDFICPACMoEWRSoDMA-CREWS initiativesMoEWRSoDMAMoAI MoLFRMoHMoFBE  National Broadcasters mandated by NCA National Telecom Operators mandated by NCA MoEWR geospatial portalSoDMA geospatial portalCentral forecast portal ( www.weagher.gov.so   )myDEWETRA Platform
Operational Flood ForecastmyDEWETRA Flood Risk (GAR)AWSRiver sensor dataGFS Forecast modelGloFASICPAC forecastFAO-SWALIM  operational flood forecastmyDEWETRA Flood Risk (GAR) of  CREWS Initiative GloFASICPAC  MoEWRSoDMAMoAI MoLFRMoHMoFBE  National Broadcasters mandated by NCA National Telecom Operators mandated by NCA MoEWR geospatial portalSoDMA geospatial portalCentral forecast portal ( www.weagher.gov.so   )myDEWETRA Platform
Now castingMeteo France RDTmyDEWETRA GSMap EUMETCast RDTPoint based AWS observation ( city/Municipality, IDPs/Towns ) data of ECVsPUMA 2025  MoEWR hydro-met working groupSoDMA forecast analysis tamMoEWRSoDMAMoAI MoLFRMoHMoFBENational Broadcasters mandated by NCA National Telecom Operators mandated by NCA MoEWR geospatial portalSoDMA geospatial portalCentral forecast portal ( www.weagher.gov.so   )myDEWETRA Platform
Impact forecastPoint based AWS observation ( city/Municipality, IDPs/Towns ) data of ECVsmyDEWETRAPUMA 2025 ECMWF Reanalysis v5 (ERA5) dataEUMETCastMeteo France RDTEU-Forecast ModelsNOAA-CPC/netCDF ICPACMoEWR hydro-met working group SoDMA forecast analysis tamMoEWRSoDMA  National Broadcasters mandated by NCA National Telecom Operators mandated by NCA MoEWR geospatial portalSoDMA geospatial portalCentral forecast portal ( www.weagher.gov.so   )myDEWETRA Platform
  • Improving  Impact Forecasting Capacity :

Figure 19 : Proposed Impact-based -Forecasting (IBF) Framework( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

  • Improving Sector-level Impact Forecast and Operational Forecast:

Table: Forecast requirements for Somalia

ForecastsSectorPurposeComments
Seasonal forecasts, monthly forecasts, monthly, decadal, weekly, at spatial and temporal scales  Crop Agricultural Sector Water SectorLivelihood Food SecurityIDP Settlements WASH sectorFisheries sector  Sector Preparedness PlanRisk-informed sector-level planningDRR, CCA PlanningLivestock sector, Water Sector, WASH sector, crop-agriculture, livelihood, food security sector planningEAP, EWEA, EWAA, SoP, SoD, EA , FbF, IBF
Forecasting Rapidly Developing Thunderstorm(RDT), heavy rainfall storm wind, tornadoes, Dust & sand storm  Crop Agricultural Sector Water SectorLivelihood Food SecurityIDP Settlements WASH sectorFisheries sector  Thunderstorm-based operational forecasts (CAPE, trough, Airmass, Air-vapor, RH, lightning), what is the probability of heavy rainfall 
Cyclone early warning systemCrop Agricultural Sector Water SectorLivelihood Food SecurityIDP Settlements WASH sectorFisheries sector  Impact forecast for cyclone early warningsImpact forecast for deep-sea fishingImpact forecast for Coastal City, a municipality for forecast-based emergency preparedness   
Food security early warningCrop Agricultural Sector Water SectorLivelihood Food SecurityIDP Settlements WASH sectorFisheries sector  Impact forecast for Food security Impact forecast 
Famine early warningCrop Agricultural Sector Water SectorLivelihood Food SecurityIDP Settlements WASH sectorFisheries sector  Impact forecast for Famine 
Drought early warning  Crop Agricultural Sector Water SectorLivelihood Food SecurityIDP Settlements WASH sectorFisheries sector  Impact Forecast for Drought 
Livestock sector early warning systemLivestock sector  Impact forecast for Livestock 
  1. Improving the borehole/water monitoring system:

Somalia Groundwater monitoring: FAO estimates that there are around 600 boreholes across the country, out of which only 35 boreholes hourly acquisition of the parameters of the groundwater table and water quality data is being monitored through the Iridian satellite-connected automatic data monitoring system. However, acquiring many borehole datasets is essential for having the functional and operational status of all essential drinking water points across the country.

Recommendations:

  • Due to rainfall variability, dry and hot spells, and an arid climate, La Niña, East Africa frequently experiences reduced rainfall, leading to severe droughts. The groundwater table is severely depleted, and the borehole becomes unusable. Therefore, the groundwater table of the geographical area and hourly/daily monitoring of the borehole water table are essential for ensuring water security and livelihood security. 
  • Installation of the groundwater table measuring instrument, water quality testing, and sending information to the central server via apps
  • The borehole/water monitoring system is required to develop forecasts on extreme weather impacts on the WASH and water sectors. 
Sector ElementsStakeholders to provide the Dataset for forecast impact analysis Tools for data collection
Water Point /boreholeDrinking water BoreholeSolar PV-powered water point    MoEWR inventory and GIS maps on location UNCEF WASH cluster database, MICS, School-based WASH databaseIOM DTM FAO borehole databaseFAO AWS( iridium satellite connected automated monitoring system ) UNHCR, WFP, UNDP, other UN Agencies FAO-SWALIM, SoDMA, Agriculture Development, Livestock Department, City & Municipality INGOMobile apps GPS surveyApp-based survey ( Kobo-toolbox)  
WASHDug wellFAO dug well databaseMoEWR dug well databaseINGOs ( IP ) dug well inventory database CSO/NGO dug well inventory database UNCEF WASH cluster database, MICS, School-based WASH databaseIOM DTM FAO borehole databaseFAO AWS( iridium satellite connected automated monitoring system ) UNHCR, WFP, UNDP, other UN Agencies   
WASHRainwater harvesting facilityMoEWR inventory and GIS maps on location UNCEF WASH cluster database, MICS, School-based WASH databaseIOM DTM FAO borehole databaseFAO AWS( iridium satellite connected automated monitoring system ) UNHCR, WFP, UNDP, other UN Agencies FAO-SWALIM, SoDMA, Agriculture Development, Livestock Department, City & Municipality   
WASHOpen water body for easily treating the households MoEWR inventory and GIS maps on location UNCEF WASH cluster database, MICS, School-based WASH databaseIOM DTM FAO borehole databaseFAO AWS( iridium satellite connected automated monitoring system ) UNHCR, WFP, UNDP, other UN Agencies   
WASHWater desalination facility in coastal areas for drinking water supplyMoEWR inventory and GIS maps on location UNCEF WASH cluster database, MICS, School-based WASH databaseIOM DTM FAO borehole databaseFAO AWS( iridium satellite connected automated monitoring system ) UNHCR, WFP, UNDP, other UN Agencies   
WASHSurface water treatment facility for the drinking water supplyMoEWR inventory and GIS maps on location UNCEF WASH cluster database, MICS, School-based WASH databaseIOM DTM FAO borehole databaseFAO AWS( iridium satellite connected automated monitoring system ) UNHCR, WFP, UNDP, other UN Agencies   
WASHSanitation Point at the community and IDP levelMoEWR inventory and GIS maps on location UNCEF WASH cluster database, MICS, School-based WASH databaseIOM DTM FAO borehole databaseFAO AWS( iridium satellite connected automated monitoring system ) UNHCR, WFP, UNDP, other UN Agencies FAO-SWALIM, SoDMA, Agriculture Development, Livestock Department, City & Municipality 
  • Improving Crop Agricultural agro-climate forecasting and early warning :

Challenges :

  • Significant changes in precipitation dry spells, droughts, high temperature, water stress, etc.,  leading to land degradation and other environmental challenges, ultimately leading to water shortages and degradation of crops and livestock.
  • Famine is the cause of food insecurity in Somalia.

Recommendations:

  • UNDRR-CREWS for enhancing the capacity of NMHS( SoDMA, MoEWR) Crop Agricultural sector agroclimatic forecasting and early warning
  • Develop climate risk and  vulnerability assessment (CRVA) methodology, tools, and guidelines for the crop agriculture sectors, hazard vulnerability assessment for the livelihood sector.
  • FAO, WFP, INGOs, and CSOs need to analyze the links between early warning, early action, and community-based adaptation to improve anticipation, adaptive capacity, and disaster risk management simultaneously.
  • The FAO needs to localize the Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS) for Somalia and anchor GIEWS with an ICT-based online database  and geospatial interoperable MHEWS, connecting smallholder farmers, vulnerable communities, value chain operators, state ( sector department), and non-state actors for supporting the following ;

Type of elements Geo location( Lat/Long)Exposure Risk Vulnerability The type of weather forecast and warning are required  The type of impact forecast is required Responsible entity for forecasting/IBF
Elements  of the Crop agriculture sectorCrop-land specific geolocation to track the crop landsWhich external weather parameters are exposed to the Elements? What are the risks of L&D due to extreme weather parameters?Coping capacity of each element Agrometeorological forecasts Impact forecasts /Operational Forecasts of extreme weather events are likely to be impendingMoEWRSoDMAFAOMoAIWFPINGOsCSOs  
SeedlingGeolocation of permanent seedling areasFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
SaplingGeolocation of permanent  Sapling areasFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
HorticultureGeolocation of permanent  HorticultureFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Soil health/moistureGeolocation of the soil health monitoring pointFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Rainfed cropsGeolocation agriculture blocks for rainfed croplands ( paddy, maize, etc) Farmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Irrigation-dependent cropsGeolocation of standing crops and agri-blocks requires supplementary irrigation  Farmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAP Agrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Agroforestry Farmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAP Agrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Fruit garden Farmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAP Agrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Value Chain elements Geological location of all value chain inputs, suppliers, and output markets
Input supplier depot Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Output wholesale market Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Cold storage facility Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Storage godown/CSD/Silos  Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Certified Seeds Agency Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
  1. Improving Water sector Operational & impact-based  forecasting:

Challenges :

  • There is a lack of climate risk and vulnerability assessment and a water sector-specific repository for tracking and monitoring water bodies, rainfall variability for any changes and anomalies in weather parameters over the hydrological and meteorological phenomena.
  • Lack of data-sharing MoU with the upstream Ethiopian and Kenyan National Hydrological and Meteorological Services (NHMS) organization in river flows, reservoirs, groundwater levels, lakes, and soil moisture, in local catchments across the region.
  • Lack of integrated hydrological and meteorological early warning systems, impact forecasting, and operational forecasting

Recommendations:

Figure 20: Water sector Operational & impact  forecasting( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

  • UNDRR-CREWS initiative Capacity building Support for the sector department for preparing forecasts (warning, alerting, and  bulletin) for the water sector, and sectoral elements
  • Develop climate risk and vulnerable asset management methodology, tools, and water sector risk assessment guidelines.
  • FAOSWALIM, MoEWR, and SoDMA need to work with an interoperable and integrated MHEWS  system to provide EWS in the water sector(Surface water stress, groundwater table, Borehole water availability, etc.).
  • FAO, WFP, INGOs, and CSOs need to research and analyze the links between early warning, early action, and community-based adaptation to improve anticipation, adaptive capacity, and disaster risk management simultaneously.
  • FAO Drought portal needs to be anchored with interoperable and integrated MHEW.
  • The FAO needs to localize the Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS) for Somalia and anchor GIEWS with an ICT-based online database  and geospatial interoperable NMHEWC, connecting smallholder farmers, vulnerable communities, value chain operators, state ( sector department), and non-state actors for supporting the following ;
Type of elements Geo location( Lat/Long)Exposure Risk Vulnerability The type of weather forecast and warning are required  The type of impact forecast is required Responsible entity for forecasting/IBF
Elements  of the Crop agriculture sectorCrop-land specific geolocation to track the crop landsWhich external weather parameters are exposed to the Elements? What are the risks of L&D due to extreme weather parameters?Coping capacity of each element Agrometeorological forecasts Impact forecasts /Operational Forecasts of extreme weather events are likely to be impendingMoEWRFAOMoAIWFPINGOsCSOs  
SeedlingGeolocation of permanent seedling areasFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
SaplingGeolocation of permanent  Sapling areasFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
HorticultureGeolocation of permanent  HorticultureFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Soil health/moistureGeolocation of the soil health monitoring pointFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Rainfed cropsGeolocation agriculture blocks for rainfed croplands ( paddy, maize, etc) Farmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Irrigation-dependent cropsGeolocation of standing crops and agri-blocks requires supplementary irrigation  Farmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAP Agrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Agroforestry Farmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAP Agrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Fruit garden Farmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAP Agrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Value Chain elements Geological location of all value chain inputs, suppliers, and output markets
Input supplier depot Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Output wholesale market Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Cold storage facility Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Storage godown/CSD/Silos  Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Certified Seeds Agency Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
  • Improving livestock sector impact forecasting

Challenges :

  • Lack of climate risk and vulnerability assessment, and the
  •  livestock elements-specific repository for forecasting impact analysis 
  • Changing weather conditions, Precipitation variability, extreme temperatures, heat waves, dry spells, droughts, and the drying up of waterbodies lead to pastoral degradation, water shortages, and persistent droughts that hamper livestock farming.
  • Droughts severely affect the livelihoods and food security of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. Moreover, the lack of pasture and shortage of water availability resulting from the drought led to acute morbidity, increasing common diseases, outbreaks, and causing mortality among living animals.
  • Household level famine and IDP are the cause of early livestock sales to ensure food security.
  • Lack of a weather and climate forecasting system for undertaking anticipatory actions for early stocking inputs for saving livestock population planning, the pricing efficiency of cost-in-action for a two-tier model for capturing the effect of cattle characteristics on impending impact hazards, and estimation of returns from early selling and minimizing the L&Ds.  

Recommendations:

  • CREWS initiative Capacity building Support for the sector department in preparing forecasts (warning, alerting, and CAP) bulletins for the livestock sector and sectoral value chain.
  • Develop climate risk and vulnerable asset management methodology, tools, and guidelines for the livestock sectors and conduct risk assessment.
  • MoLFR, FAO, WFP, INGOs, CSOs, and value chain operators need to research and analyze the links between early warning, early action, livelihood sector adaptive capacity, and disaster risk management.
  • Promote the FAO Predictive Livestock Early Warning Information System (PLEWS) with analytics of normalized difference vegetation index data and models against edible vegetation (based on high-resolution satellite imagery and ground truthing), surface water availability, and past data.
  • Linkage the FAO  PLEWS with Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS) for Somalia and anchor both of the systems with an ICT-based online database management system and geospatial interoperable NMHEWC, connecting smallholder farmers, vulnerable communities, value chain operators, state ( sector department), and non-state actors for supporting the following;
Type of elements Geo location( Lat/Long)Exposure Risk Vulnerability The type of weather forecast and warning are required  The type of impact forecast is required Responsible entity for forecasting/IBF
Elements  livestock  sectorCrop-land specific geolocation to track the crop landsWhich external weather parameters are exposed to the Elements?What are the risks of L&D due to extreme weather parameters?Coping capacity of each elementAgrometeorological forecastsImpact forecasts /Operational Forecasts of extreme weather events are likely to be impendingMoLFRSODMAFAOMoAIWFPINGOsCSOs  
CamaelGeolocation of permanent farming and grazing  areasHerders  to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
GoatsGeolocation of goats farm Herders  to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsFarmers to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
SheepGeolocation of the sheep farm Herders  to send information via mobile appsHerders  to send information via mobile appsHerders  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
CowsGeolocation of the cattle farm  & grazing areasHerders  to send information via mobile appsHerders  to send information via mobile appsHerders  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
BuffaloesGeolocation of the buffalo farm  & grazing areasHerders  to send information via mobile appsHerders  to send information via mobile appsHerders  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Commercial poultry farms Entrepreneur  to send information via mobile appsEntrepreneur  to send information via mobile appsEntrepreneur  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAP Agrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Other varieties of livestock       
Value Chain elements Geological location of all value chain inputs, suppliers, and output markets
Input supplier depot Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Output wholesale market Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Storage facility/Processing industry Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Storage godown/CSD/Silos  Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
Certified Seeds Agency Value chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsValue chain operators  to send information via mobile appsOperational Forecasts Weather Warning /CAPAgrometeorological forecast (daily)Impact Forecasts   
  • Improving the Fisheries Sector impact forecasting

Challenges :

  • Lack of inventories of fishing boats, fishermen, and weather warning recovery equipment. Lack of operational forecasts for deep-sea fishing.

Recommendations:

  • CREWS initiative Capacity building Support for the sector department in preparing forecasts (warning, alerting, and CAP) bulletins for the fisheries sector.
  • Improving the health Sector multi-hazard early warning

Challenges :

  • Lack of inventories, GIS maps on  hospitals, clinics, primary health care centers, IDP healthcare points to map the sector’s service delivery capabilities, Lack of assessment of extreme weather, multi-hazards impact  on the public health sector
  • Without an early warning system for impending extreme weather parameters (high temperature, high wind, dust storm, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, etc.), weather-induced diseases and outbreaks are highly likely and can cause human tolls.

Recommendations:

  • WHO needs to deploy the Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS) to improve disease outbreak detection, health disorder detection, disease surveillance, and reporting systems in any given extreme weather event, conflict, or natural disaster.
  • The UNDRR CREWS initiative supports the health sector and the NMHEWC in developing impact forecasts, preparing forecasts (warning, alerting, and CAP), and publishing operational forecast bulletins on impending extreme weather events.
  • Improving Common Alerting Protocol(CAP), Operational Forecasts, Impact forecasts for humanitarian sectors

Challenges :

  • Silo approach of humanitarian action planning and humanitarian actions being undertaken by the UN cluster system, INGOs, CSOs
  • Humanitarian actors depend on regional and European forecasting windows for forecast-based anticipatory early action planning.
  • Lack of systemic structures for hazard impact monitoring, event situation update, tracking ripple effects of hazards, and consequential L&Ds inventorying
  • coordination of state, non-state actors, and CSOs for the collection of L&D data 

Recommendations:

  • Interoperable ICT online-driven NMHEWS needs to develop, CAP, weather warning, forecast-based anticipatory action  (AA)
  • UNDRR CREWS initiative supports enhancing core stakeholder capacity on developing impact forecasts, preparing forecasts (warning, alerting, and CAP), and operational forecasts bulletins on extreme weather events that are impending for supporting humanitarian action.

 4.6 Improving hybrid observation 

Installation of hybrid observations system: The system includes automated weather stations, flood level monitoring, groundwater table & boreholes /drinking water point monitoring, surface water body monitoring, crop monitoring, livestock herders monitoring,  productive sector’s value chain (input, output, market system), crowd-sourced multi-hazard incident tracking, multi-hazard & disaster event situation update, Loss and damage monitoring, disaster hotspot tracking etc.,  

Figure 21 :  Improving hybrid observation ( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

5.0 Pillar 3 Implementation Strategy ( Warning dissemination and communication)

Risk communication and dissemination are the most critical components of the EW4ALL value chain process, which needs to be instrumental and functional at a robust level system design, tools and process to keep the frontline timely and sufficiently informed about the impending extreme weather events and induced multi-hazards that are highly likely to be impending and interact with the ground. It is good leverage that Somalia’s cell phone penetration rate is significant, at 73 % of the Population.[1]  The cell phones (comprising 83% in urban areas, 72% in IDP camps, and 55% in rural areas),  being factored mainly by the Mobile money, embedded financial opportunity in Somalia that enables foreign and local remitters with a convenient, affordable, and fast mobile money, which has been widely used. These imperatives and opportunities can be harmonized with policy and programmatic actions for creating communication & dissemination strategies of early warning information to the public alerts. The currently running SMS/IVR/cell broadcast services cover a limited extent, are not even user-friendly, and do not target multi-lingual audiences. The telecommunications regulator in Somalia (the NCA) is in a unique position to foster collaboration between warning dissemination organizations and information providers; since the NCA regulates the telecommunications sector, ICT sector, and broadcasting sector, it can manage and develop guidelines and regulations to support timely alert dissemination and communications.

Ensuring that IT systems, data storage, and sharing mechanisms are secured, resilient, and functional is expected to enhance NMHEWC’s capabilities to send alert warnings during the onset of hazards. Accessing hazard and forecast information from various source organizations would allow NMHEWC to disseminate warnings through different communication channels (TV, radio, SMS, and social media), anticipating impending risk. Capacity strengthening and risk communication are as follows;


[1] MOBILE M ONEY E COSYSTEM IN S OMALIA SUMMARY, Altai Consulting for the World Bank, June 2017

5.1 Indicative Challenges of  Warning dissemination and communication

  1. Lack of terrestrial Broadcasting(AM Radio/Terrestrial TV):

 This is the only easily accessible broadcasting system from which a radio set can receive broadcasts at any last-mile geographical location in the country. Unfortunately, Somalia’s Amplitude Modulation (AM) radio broadcasts were suspended due to political fragility and conflict-related issues. Therefore, the dispersedly located poor households in hard-to-reach areas cannot access the AM Radio or FM radio due to FM radio broadcast limits. Thus, remote households need to depend on cascading people-to-people spreading warning messages; sometimes, the local mosque-based Imam and community leader play some roles in spreading bad weather alerts. The figure below shows that the remote household and sea fishing boats do not have access to the daily weather bulletin

Figure 22 : Existing commercial FM radio services( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

Recommendations :

The Somalian federal government and the state government need to ensure AM broadcasts to the remote, poor households.  Until this barrier is overcome, the remote community needs to depend on SMS, IVR, and Cell broadcast, while cell phone operators are being held accountable to send free SMS, IVR, and Cell broadcasts.

  1. Lack of a Broadcasting policy framework, accountability,  mandates, and standard operating procedures (SoP) on how broadcasters will access national weather forecasts and broadcast weather  bulletins, and special weather warnings:

Since Somalia has yet to institutionalize the national meteorological agency (NMA) for full-fledged operational capability to give daily weather forecasts on essential climate variables (ECV), ironically, the only rainfall is being prepared by the MoEWR hydromet services, but the national broadcaster does not regularly pick up the broadcasts; instead, they do use third-party commercial forecasting tools (windy, Ventskey, Zoom Earth, etc.) and do broadcast weather on an ad hoc basis. Therefore, the climate frontline community can not access specialized and precision-level forecasts and special weather bulletins due to the unavailability of an operational SoP.

Recommendation :

  • UNDRR-CREWS initiative needs to conduct an assessment of existing forecasts’ quality, timeliness, specific-temporal scale, weather warming, remarkable weather bulletin development capacity, bulletin quality, etc, and simultaneously develop a brief SoP for the broadcasts so that the EW4ALL value chain is ensured.
  • NCA needs to develop a SoP on how to channelize the risk/forecast communication, dissemination, and coordinate mechanisms on how the district/community level coordinates local CPC/DMC, CSOs, NGOs, and Mosque imam will communicate warning alerts to households during emergencies for evacuation and preparedness ( Cyclone, flash flooding)
  • Develop a SoP on promoting a social journalism mechanism led by the youth group, local journalists, youth journalists, and community volunteers through social networks (Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc).
  • Lack of NCA MoU with broadcasters (government and private) :

The good leverage that Somalia has is that 80% of the population has cell phones, has private FM radio services, and satellite TV services targeting the high-density settlements (cities and municipalities). Considering this broadcasting facility, the NCA needs to play a pivotal role in mandating cell phone/telecom operators, cable TV/satellite TV networks, online/offline news outlets to broadcast weather bulletins at regular intervals. Unfortunately, no MOUs & mandates for the national broadcasters, telecom operators, and news agencies to mandate daily weather forecasting and warning.

Recommendations: NCA immediately needs to sign and approve the MOU & mandates with National State control and private TV and Community Radio broadcasters, Telecom company  to  supplement forecast bulletin dissemination, SMS, IVR, Cell Broadcasting

  • NCA needs to develop a risk/alert communication and dissemination system for urban dealers that provides cell phone, FM radio, Internet, and satellite TV access.

Organize a national hydrometeorological services technical working group to analyze forecasts, develop impact forecasts, and prepare CAP on sudden onset localized multi-hazard events that are highly likely to be impending, e.g., RDT identified heavy rainfall, tornadoes, nor’easters, etc. The CAP alerts must be on the spatial-temporal scale and be tracked and detected by the hybrid weather observation network. Local FM Radio, Satellite and cable TV, social network operators, and the local CPC/DMC committee need to issue CAP for their locality to minimize the L&Ds.

5.2 Developing a Common Alerting Protocol(CAP) :

Event Situation Updates to NMHEWC for next  action planning 

NMHS to constantly monitor, detect, and Issue CAP

  • Impending hazardous weather
  • Promote an End-to-end early warning system:
    • Mandating FV Radio, Satellite TV broadcasters to organize a Live show on multiple hazards for the collection of event situation :

Event situations can be collected for the crowd sources by conducting live broadcasts on FM radio and satellite TV to let the frontline stakeholders participate in the live show and receive updates about the onset of hazard impacts and trails of L&Ds happening across the locality. The remote vulnerable and victim household/stakeholder can participate in the shows via cell phone calls and send the updates on event situations to the broadcast room, and then broadcasters can immediately update about ground level event situation updates to the interoperable NMHWEC (online database- Geoportal automated disaster alerts portal) and update the NCA and national broadcasters consortium for broader dissemination.  

5.3  Interoperable risk communication and feedback system with NMHEWS ( CREWS Initiative Support )

Figure 23: Live shows for capturing the ongoing event situation of the onset of disaster incidents on the ground( Source: Z M Sajjadul Islam )

5.4  Develop and disseminate a common alerting protocol (CAP) on imminent hazards, weather  :

Developing the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) is the tertiary step of an integrated forecasting and early warning system. Firstly, weather observation/detection, forecasting, and then CAP development based on the cascading impacts of multi-hazards down to the community and household level. The most decisive early action protocol, contingency mobilization, and forecast-based anticipatory action need to be developed based on the precision level of forecasting, cascading impacts of the impending and onset hazards on the elements on the ground.

NMHS needs to analyze numerical weather prediction (NWP), operational forecasts, develop impact forecasts, and prepare a spatiotemporal scale CAP on sudden onset localized multi-hazard events that are highly likely to be impending, e.g., RDT identified heavy rainfall, tornadoes, nor’easters, etc. The CAP alerts must be on a spatial-temporal scale and tracked and detected by the hybrid weather observation network (technology and human-driven). The NMHS and NWP team must issue CAP for broadcasting through Local FM Radio, Satellite, and cable TV, social network operators, and the local CPC/DMC committee must issue CAP for their locality to minimize the L&Ds.

Figure 24: CAP Development Process( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

Figure 25: Event situation reporting( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

Tools: Mobile and landline telephones, Internet (e-mail, Google, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, smartphone apps, sirens (in-building or outdoor), radio/television broadcast and, cable television, emergency radio, amateur radio, satellite direct broadcast, and digital signage networks (highway signs, billboards, automobile and rail traffic control).

5.5  Improving terrestrial Broadcasting

NCA needs to undertake policy advocacy with the Ministry of Communication & Technology (MoCT) for resuming the AM Radio broadcasts( at the federal and state levels), mandating cell phone companies to extend the cellular BTS ranges so that remote communities and fishermen can access terrestrial broadcasts. Terrestrial AM Radio and TV can play a significant role in keeping households and populations in dispersed and hard-to-reach areas household/population informed about multi-hazard risk, raising awareness, and providing timely access to weather bulletins, warnings, and alerts for minimizing loss of lives, L&Ds.

Figure 26 : Expansion of terrestrial broadcasts(AM Radio/TV) beyond the national boundary( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

 5.6  Stakeholders’ responsibility metrics on Risk Communication and Event Updates

Stakeholders/ActorsSector Ministry & departments Responsibilities during normal time Duties during the impending multi-hazard EW is being issued Duties at the event of  multi-hazard incidents are taking place with high impacts Duties at the event of a disaster have already started for L&DsRisk communication tools
State ActorsNCACoordinate NMHEWC & national broadcasts for  every day’s Forecasts/bulletins are being broadcasted Coordination of special weather bulletins with national broadcastersCoordinate the national broadcasters’ newsroom for organizing live shows for crowdsource audiences to report the current situation and incidents of L&DS Coordinate the national broadcasters’ newsroom for organizing live shows for crowdsource audiences to report the current situation and incidents of L&DS  
 SoDMACoordinate NCA  & national broadcasts for  every day’s Forecasts/bulletins are being broadcast  Coordinate NCA  & national broadcasters for  special weather bulletins that are being broadcast Coordinate Interoperable NNMHEWC for processing for every day’s Forecasts/bulletins so that NCA and broadcasters can access them in a timely manner.   Coordinate NCA, District administration, CPC/DMC for taking updates on L&Ds to national broadcasters for wider dissemination, and update data with DesInventar. And Web-based NMHEWS for wider dissemination 
 MoEWRCoordinate Interoperable NNMHEWC and develop special bulletins on heavy rainfall and highly likely river flooding, flash floods, landslides, etc.  Coordinate all relevant stakeholders and ensure that L&D’s data is being sent via mobile apps to the Interoperable NNMHEWCCoordinate NCA, District administration, CPC/DMC for taking updates to national broadcasters for wider dissemination.  Coordinate SoDMA, District administration, CPC/DMC, CSO consortium for taking updates on L&Ds  
 MoAICoordinate an Interoperable NNMHEWC so that regular agroclimatic forecasts and bulletins are broadcast, targeting the audiences of smallholder farmers, promoters, market players, rural households, CSOs, Stakeholders, entrepreneurs, value chain operators, etc.  Coordinate an Interoperable NNMHEWC so that special weather bulletins for the crop-agriculture sectoral elements are being broadcast to give wearing/alerts to  to the target audiences Coordinate all relevant stakeholders and ensure that L&Ds data is being sent via mobile apps to Interoperable NNMHEWCCoordinate all relevant stakeholders and ensure that L&Ds data is being sent via mobile apps to Interoperable NNMHEWC 
 MoLFRCoordinate an Interoperable NNMHEWC so that regular agroclimatic forecasts for the livestock value chain and bulletins are broadcast, targeting the audiences of livestock herders, smallholder farmers, livestock commercial herders,  promoters, market players, rural households, CSOs, Stakeholders, entrepreneurs, value chain operators, etc.Coordinate an Interoperable NNMHEWC so that special weather bulletins for the livestock sectoral elements are being broadcast to give warnings/alerts to  the target audiences Coordinate an Interoperable NNMHEWC so that weather warnings for the public health and the WASH sector are being issued & broadcastCoordinate all relevant stakeholders and ensure that L&Ds data is being sent via mobile apps to Interoperable NNMHEWC 
 MoHCoordinate an interoperable NNMHEWC so that regular public health, WASH-related bulletins, value chain operators, etc., are being broadcast.Coordinate local administration, CPC/DMC, community, mosque imam, and collect L & Ds information. Coordinate all relevant stakeholders and ensure that L&D’s data is being sent via mobile apps to the Interoperable NNMHEWCCoordinate all relevant stakeholders and ensure that L&Ds data is being sent via mobile apps to Interoperable NNMHEWC. 
 MoFBECoordinate NCA &  an interoperable NNMHEWC  so that the sea-fishermen can access the Forecasts/bulletins from the fishing boatsCoordinate NCA &  an interoperable NNMHEWC  so tropical storm depression, stages of development, related special weather bulletins are being broadcast and communicated to the fishing boatsCoordinate fishing boats to follow storm warnings are being followed carefully, and offshore timelyCoordinate fishing boats to get updates on L&Ds 
Non-state actorsUN-HCTCapacity development of stakeholders for improving risk communicationSupporting SoDMA, NCA for improving risk communicationSupporting SoDMA, NCA for incident tracking and collection of L&Ds information Supporting SoDMA, NCA for incident tracking and collection of L&Ds information  
 UN ClustersCapacity development of stakeholders for improving risk communicationSupporting SoDMA, NCA for improving risk communicationSupporting SoDMA, NCA for incident tracking and collection of L&Ds information Supporting SoDMA, NCA for incident tracking and collection of L&Ds information  
 INGOsCapacity development of stakeholders for improving risk communicationSupporting SoDMA, NCA for improving risk communicationSupporting SoDMA, NCA for incident tracking and collection of L&Ds information Supporting SoDMA, NCA for incident tracking and collection of L&Ds information  
 Local NGOs/CSOsCapacity building of  local stakeholders, CPC/DMC, in end-to-end risk communication Coordinate local administration, CPC/DMC, community, mosque imam, and keep them updated about impending  multi-hazardsCoordinate local administration, CPC/DMC, community, mosque imam, and collect L & Ds information. Coordinate NCA &  an interoperable NNMHEWC  for accessing daily weather bulletin and broadcasting/disseminating through an appropriate channel. 
National broadcasters/media outlets, Telecom OperatorsCoordinate NCA &  an interoperable NNMHEWC  for accessing special weather bulletins, weather warnings, alerts, and broadcasting/disseminating through an appropriate channel.Coordinate NCA &  an interoperable NNMHEWC  for accessing special  weather bulletins, weather warnings, alerts, and broadcasting/disseminating through an appropriate channel.FM Radio, Satellite TV, Cell phone operators, Fixed line companies, cable operators, national news outlets, etc.  Conduct special live shows so that audiences can share incidents and L&D information to the newsroom.  

 5.7  NCA Mandates National Broadcasters, News Outlets for dissemination

NCA needs to play an important role in devising the forecast bulletin broadcasting; the following diagram shows the mechanism of an effective forecast dissemination system.

Figure 27: NCA-led national communication framework ( proposed)( Source: Z M Sajjadul Islam )

 5.8  UN Clusters data contribution for impact forecasting

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are defined as formal written guidelines or instructions for incident response. They generally have operational and technical components and allow emergency response personnel to act in a coordinated manner across all disciplines in the event of an emergency.34 These detailed instructions or procedures promote a uniform and standardized response during emergency response operations. These SOPs should be aligned with the legislative and regulatory frameworks as well as with the specific policies and plans related to DRM.

 5.9  Installation of hybrid surface observation and organize a Live radio/TV show during Hazard spells are going on

Mandate Crowdsource information coordination and information gathering during weather emergencies:  Developing crowdsource network ( WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook,  Kobo-toolbox, survey monkey, GPS logger, GPS essential) connecting all vulnerable herders, community, stakeholders, enterprises, I-NGO projects, lead farmers, financing institutions, credit operators, insurance companies, etc., for collecting risk information, risk communication, event situation updates, etc.

  • Tracking every multi-hazard on the ground, e.g., heavy rainfall, strong winds, thunderstorm, dust storm, heavy-rain, etc., causes loss and damage.
  • Conduct ground-level observations of slow-medium onset hazards, such as heat waves, droughts, etc.
  • Activating hybrid observations for instantly tracking a flash drought, heatwave, hot spell, convective weather system /rapidly developing weather conditions ( area of extent), dust storms, etc.,  monitoring,
  • Provide modular weather instruments, e.g., thermometers, precipitation gauges, and hand-held anemometers to every ger volunteer.
  • Setting up lighting detectors and other AWS sensors for high-value elements ( city /municipality)  
  • Mandating crowdsourced volunteers to remain alerted to provide weather emergency information( to the network with geolocation)  in given cases of extreme weather events is likely to impede or have just started. 
  • Provide geolocation of livestock access to drinking water in harsh weather conditions.
  1. Establish Constant communication and monitoring of the  herders/farmers/frontline community :
  2. Mandating cell phone companies to provide a free internet hour every day to herders/emergency volunteers, remotely located MRCS, community volunteers, and another Android phone for sending emergency data/information to IBF for updates.
  3. Mandate Herders/volunteers to provide quick updates of weather conditions to WhatsApp group: mandate herders for  Sending sample pictures of herd size and health conditions, forage conditions, camp side conditions ( vulnerable to hazards – avalanche/floods/flash floods/landslide/debris fall/mudslide  ?), landscape pictures of pastureland, the water access point for drinking water, etc.
  4. Organize group discussions with social network groups and ask herders to send pictures of multi-hazards anytime they face an emergency shelter.
  1. Conducting a live radio show for the vulnerable community during disaster onset
  2. Coordinating with national AM radio or city/municipality-level AM radio broadcasts and organizing live radio talk shows to get situation and incident updates from remote communities. 
  3. Support national radio team for preparing broadcast advisories for herders travelers, value chain operators, herders, farmers, etc.
  • Liaising with INGO/UN Agency, supported  event situation updates
  • INGO/UN Agency  humanitarian network, sector network to feed event situation to  MHEWS running  CAP.
  • Anchoring IGNO/UN Agency led emergency preparedness and response with IBF
  • Green /Dry Pasture alert
  • Forage  crop failure ( due to drought ) & shortage alert

[1] MOBILE M ONEY E COSYSTEM IN S OMALIA SUMMARY, Altai Consulting for the World Bank, June 2017

6.0 Pillar 4 : Improving Preparedness and Response Capabilities

6.1 The central objectives for improving Preparedness and response capabilities

  • Improving multi-hazard informed disaster risk management (DRM) system at a local level
  • Capacity building of DRM and DRR actors, risk-informed, forecast-based anticipatory action planning, and implementation
  • Mechanizing and devising anticipatory actions  based on spatiotemporal scale and precision level, early warning & alerts
  • Improving the local level coordination mechanism of the Disaster Civil Protection Committee /Disaster Management Committee (DMC) emergency preparedness and lifesaving humanitarian response actions plans with ICT tools( Apps ) driven and interactive
  • Implement ICT tools-driven interoperable NMHEWS online platform to ensure evidence-based actions and hold every stakeholder accountable under pillar 4, accountable for Preparedness and response actions
  • Deployment of ICT tools-driven interoperable NMHEWS online platform to ensure all stakeholders, state( Government entities) , non-state ( UN, INGOs, CSOs, Academia), in collective accountability to the affected population (AAP) for avoiding duplicity and overarching actions.
  • Improving stakeholders’ capacity in assessment of post-disaster impacts, climate change impacts, L&Ds data collection, conducting PDNA, RPDNA at the local level
  • Improving the informed disaster risk financing framework and forecast-based financing mechanism

6.2 Recommendations on a coherent sector-level actionable policy framework:

  • Improving  Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Action Planning: There are silo approach of DRM planning ( preparedness, contingency, response, recovery) planning and interventions at federal level, member state level, District level and largely being undertaken by the CSOs, UN Agency and government level. Therefore, some degree of overarching intervention process and some hard-to-reach areas remain unattended. To overcome the silo approach of  DRM planning and interventions interoperable NMHEWC need to deploy the online database connected with apps for tracking interventions, identify the people in need (PiN).
  • Organizing District ( City, Municipality) and community-level Civil Protection Committees (CPC ) /Disaster Management Committees (DMC) and improving ICT tools based on the task management system. A structured CPC needs support from the District administration, City and municipality local government, local INGOs, implementing partners, local NGOs, sector extension department, charity, Mosque Imam-led committee, community volunteers, youth clubs, etc. SoDMA-led NMHEWC needs to develop an online database and apps to govern each committee and perform all standing orders during disaster emergencies.
  • Facilitate the Somalia Recovery and Resilience Framework (RRF) action plans through the interoperable NMHEWS and by partnering with all the stakeholders to support them in developing hazard-informed planning tools to facilitate the collective efforts to support RRF actions.  Coordinating the local NGOs/CSOs, Local development committees, Local Community, sector extensions department, local stakeholders, entrepreneurs, and promoters to be part of the DRM and DRR process. Developing hazard risk-informed planning tools to support each city, municipality, and district-level government in developing DRM/DRR Planning. Supporting the local market value chain for their value chain level DRM/DRR planning
  • Supporting (climate vulnerable sector, e.g., crop agriculture, livestock, WASH, health, and fisheries )level stakeholders for local level hazard information scheme planning.

6.3 Improving Forecast-based Anticipatory Action Planning Capacity:

One of the key activities of Interoperability NMHEWS and Systemic structure function is to coordinate federal and state actors in forecast-based anticipatory action planning over an online platform.

Hazardous weather conditions

Figure 28 : Forecast-based Anticipatory Action Planning framework  ( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

6.4  Implementation  functional Civil Protection  Committee(CPC)/Disaster management Committee(DMC) :

Somalia needs a Civil Protection Committee (CPC) ( Annexure 1) for supporting the risk assessment, enhancing community risk knowledge and risk perception, and supporting end-to-end and community-based early warning systems. The CPC/DMC needs to be the key informant, and the committee needs to be connected with ICT tools/mobile apps for sending community-level L&Ds information, event situations of multi-hazards turning into disaster events, community humanitarian needs and priorities, etc.

Currently, SoDMA and other sector departments conduct post-disaster L&D assessments with support from the Mosque Imam during Friday prayers, for enhancing multi-hazard risk knowledge. Every CPC stakeholder can play a significant role in local-level disaster risk management.

  1. Send event situation update
  2. Send local L&Ds updates
  3. Local Disaster preparedness, response, and recovery  plan

6.5  Hazard risk-informed Humanitarian actions 

Humanitarian actors need time-critical impact forecasts for planning forecast-based immediate anticipatory action, considering the scale, intensity, and scalability of impending multi-hazards that are likely to cause L&Ds on the ground. ICT-based tools can play a vital role in improving risk information management for facilitating humanitarian action.   ICT-based georeferenced emergency management is required for conducting emergency preparedness and responses. IT apps based on 5W ( Who, will be doing what, where, when, and how ) for intervention planning for avoiding overarching planning,  duplicity of actions,  governing hard-to-reach areas, and uniformly mobilizing humanitarian assistance at the last-mile.

6.6    Improving the community-level volunteering network for emergency preparedness and Response mechanism

Recommendations :

  • Coordination structure of SoDMA, Somalian Red Cross Society (SRCS), and INGOs to establish a local community-level volunteering network for emergency preparedness and response mechanism.
  • Capacity building for improving volunteering service delivery.
  • Mandate CSOs to work with the 5W matrix for effective disaster preparedness and response service deliveries, develop DRM strategies, and link NS response operations with recovery and community resilience work
  • Establish a local community-level volunteering network for emergency preparedness and response mechanisms.
  • Capacity building for improving volunteering service delivery.
  • Improve community capacity to DRR , CCA, NbS, NbA, LLA
  • Develop a stakeholder coordination strategy to avoid overlapping local-level DRR, CCA, NbS, and climate resilience-building initiatives.
  • Develop DRR, CCA, NbS coordination structure for local level( District, Village, Community)  coordination in interventions
  • Enhance stakeholder capacity in risk-informed and evidence-based DRR, CCA, and NbS interventions at the community level.
  • Enhance local-level humanitarian and DRR interventions by INGOs, NGOs, CSOs, and local governments.
  • Enhance community capacity in DRR, CCA, and NbS
  • Enhance local government /SoDMA engagement in Humanitarian Response Planning and the intervention process.

Hazardous weather forecast bulletin

  • Civil Protection Committee at the local level
  • Civil Protection Committee  action for the local level preparedness  

6.7   Improving Last-Mile Disaster Preparedness Capacity

The last-mile preparedness depends on the precision level forecast being disseminated through real-time channels ( Radio/TV) , the requirements of forecast-based localized anticipatory action planning, mobilization of CPC teams, and household-level evacuations to safe ground/shelter. 

Figure 29 : Last-Mile Disaster Preparedness process (proposed)( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

The following are the simple steps forward in the Somalian context to enhance local level preparedness in the event of  rapid & sudden onset of hazardous weather conditions that are impending  

Precision Level ForecastsForecast Dissemination Local Preparedness Support Community Evacuation
Flood, Tropical Cyclone, Localized RDT & heavy rainfall Forecast and Early WarningAnticipatory Action advisory based on localized vulnerability context (landscape topographical and elements specific).SoDMA, Local administration, CSOs, local sector extension department need to issue standing orders with engagement of CPC and the community themselves with 5 W workstream modality (Who will be doing what, when, where and how)   Anticipatory Action advisory based on localized vulnerability context (landscape topographical and elements specific).SoDMA, Local administration, CSOs, local sector extension department need to issue standing orders with engagement of CPC and the community themselves with 5 W workstream modality (Who will be doing what, when, where, and how)   Based on localized vulnerability context (landscape topographical and elements specific), determine the most vulnerable households to be evacuated  

Recommendations :

  • A joint capacity-building programn needs to be conducted by the CSO consortium, UN Clusters, HCT actors, UN Agency, INGO-led implementing partners (IP), and SoDMA for the participants of  CPC/DMC of City, Municipality, urban center, Town, Village, and community-level committees on topics such as evacuation drills, first aid, etc. 
  • Develop CPC/DMC level Preparedness Plan (with 5 W responsibilities, who will do what, where, when, and how)
  • Establish an emergency shelter group/committee.
  • Capacity development of CPC/DMC in forecast-based emergency preparedness and response, and conducting multi-stakeholder-led humanitarian action at the community and household level,  improving Institutional Capacity in Developing Forecast-based Early Action Protocol (EAP) Development.
  • Mandating local broadcasters and news outlets to enhance community risk knowledge on Flash drought, hydrological, meteorological, Fluvial flood, flash flood, transboundary catchment overflow flooding, landslide, cyclone, convective heavy rainfall, tornadoes, thunderstorm, diseases/outbreaks, Earthquake-induced coastal Tsunami, etc.)

6.8    Improving Community-based Early Warning Capacity  

The community-based Early Warning is an end-to-end early warning system facilitated by the locally mechanized EWS system. It involves local broadcasters, CPC/DMC, local government administration/sector departments, local CSOs, local humanitarian actions group, Somalia Red Cross Society, etc. The process starts while precision-level hazardous weather is detected and forecasted at a precision level with a spatiotemporal scale, identifying the high-impact areas. Instantly, the local broadcasters, CPC, continue to broadcast special weather bulletins based on any changing conditions, and severe weather warnings/alerts are being circulated from the NMHEWC.   While hazards have already interacted with the ground, the broadcasters need to organize live shows/live broadcasts and interactive discussions with CPC/DRMC and community/households with event situation updates, assessments of primary L&D, humanitarian needs and priorities, etc., and report back to NMHEWC.

The figure below shows the structure & process.

Figure 30 : Structure & process for improving  Community-based Early Warning Capacity  ( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

Recommendations :

  • Capacity-building programn needs to be conducted by the CSO consortium, UN Clusters, HCT actors, UN Agency, INGO-led implementing partners (IP), and SoDMA for the participants of National and Local Broadcasters, News agency, CPC/DMC of City, Municipality, urban center, Town, Village, and community-level committees on topics such as evacuation drills, first aid, etc. 
  • Mandating local broadcasters and news outlets to enhance community risk knowledge on Flash drought, hydrological, meteorological, Fluvial flood, flash flood, transboundary catchment overflow flooding, landslide, cyclone, convective heavy rainfall, tornadoes, thunderstorm, diseases/outbreaks, Earthquake-induced coastal Tsunami, etc.).

6.9   Framework – Anticipatory Action (AA)

Step 1:  Complete risk Baseline risk and vulnerability analysis.

  • Develop a detailed repository of elements, sectors, livelihoods, livestock herding area-wise risk, vulnerability, exposure, and sensitivity risk ranking.  
  • Identify the major hazards with ranking in terms of L&D, tools, frequency, intensity, and magnitude.  
  • Detailed atlas ( State, Region, District) with indicators and Selection of recurrent hazards (Flash flood, drought, sand-dust storm, cyclone, heatwave etc.). Risk, vulnerability, exposure, sensitivity Analysis of the priority sectors ( livestock and crop agriculture, water, land & soil ). Detailed atlas preparation( Physical, geographical, socioeconomic, and, copping capacity) :
  • Develop Standard Operating Procedures (Sop) for local governments regarding humanitarian and climate risk management.
  • Develop Standing orders on disaster (SoD), actors/stakeholders for managing disaster emergencies at the local level.
  • Review Risk-informed LDP & budgeting of local governments, ongoing interventions
  • Review the Value chain operations of the service sectors

Step 2: Review impact forecasts / different-term operational Forecasts (IBF) 

Review the IBF and analyze the risk of impending hazards, where they are likely to occur, and how many elements are likely to impact with a lead time of 12 or 24 hours. Estimate impacts over the elements falling under the severity of thresholds, calculate risk with impending nature, and persistent risk and vulnerabilities.

Step 3: Define the impact level by the impending extreme weather events induced hazard(s)

  • From the above menu, summarize the Risk ranking of the elements  and define the intervention type
  • Duration of support required.

Step 3 : Analyze the IBF anticipatory advisory on loss and damage.

This is the teamwork of the IBF sector represented by the technical working group(TWG)accessing the MHEWS over the geospatial platform and analysis of forecast impacts. However, this is the primary input for the EAP to have a precision level IBF and an anticipatory L&D scenario.

The hypothesis of impact estimation.

Impact estimation = Overlay  Impact forecast color-coded threshold of impending extreme weather events  over the geographical areas + calculate  Baseline physical elements (CRVA elements ) and their  Risk & Vulnerability Ranks + Calculate socioeconomic  Risk & Vulnerability and Ranks – coping capacity = estimated risk and vulnerability elements, geographical areas, and severity

Step 4: Develop an anticipatory L & D scenario :

  1. Based on the hypotheses, calculate a checklist of impact levels and severity index for the elements likely to be impacted and damaged. A detailed checklist of how many elements is at very high, high, moderate & low risks, vulnerable, exposed, sensitive to hazards, etc.
  2. Based on the software, an Excel sheet calculates the detailed L & D scenarios
  3. Calculating financial and physical loss & Damage, and the size of investment is required for preparedness and withstanding capacity, reducing risk, vulnerability, exposure, and sensitivity.

Table :  elements impact analysis. 

Step 5: Develop a Contingency  Plan

  • Formulation of SOP with 5W activities 
  • Required resources for saving lives and property.
  • Detailing people in need (PIN) and prioritizing interventions for the high-risk ranking elements
  • Rapid Funding mechanisms and probable sources to meet,e.g., internal ( local governments, central government ) and external.
  • Risk-based intervention allocation, etc.

Step 6: Select early actions

Based on the category, type, impeding nature( Raid onset, medium onset, slow onset), intensity, magnitude, scalability, and duration to dissipate, the EAP team needs to develop early action plans for the whole cycle of risk management. Prepare a risk category-wise investment menu, including types of intervention ( cash, in-kind, logistic, relief, etc.) to be required for executing the group/stakeholders/partners of the 5W action plan modality, etc.

Step 7: Define the intervention  process

  • Define intervention based on the threshold and impact intensity of the impending extreme weather events. Following the 5W process for involving the actors. 
  • Define activities, budgets, and probable funding sources.
  • Develop an M&E plan while the intervention is triggered to capture the progress to date.

Step 8:  Event situation reporting.

Defining the event situation reporting process, and guidelines for utilizing IBF crowdsource networking and risk communication tools for updating situations with pictures, videos, contextual reporting, etc., so that IBF and forecast-based anticipatory action (AA) partners can get the updates through an online integrated IBF and forecast-based anticipatory action (AA) platform. 

Step 9: EAP approval  and designation for risk  finances

The whole IBF and FBF process is intended to be implemented over the online integrated web portals & geospatial platforms for functioning the automated process. The forecast-based anticipatory action (AA)  process leaders, co-leaders, key stakeholders, and local governments to jointly organize a consultation process online for reviewing, commenting, and finalization of the EAP and inclusive risk finance readily available to mobilize and additional finances required to implement to emergency humanitarian program for getting font-line better prepared for the impending hazards.

Step 10: Define activities  on how to conduct constant Monitoring of forecasts and conduct humanitarian   actions accordingly

The functional humanitarian focal agencies (INGOs, UN Clusters, SRCS, HCT, CSOs ) are to be guided by the EAP and conduct humanitarian action accordingly.  After EAP is approved and all the agreements are in place, ensure that the relevant stakeholders are ready to activate, preposition the relief /items for distribution, carry out necessary training, and ensure financial and logistical arrangements are in place and roles and responsibilities are well understood by the actors engaged.

Define the monitoring & evaluation process of the forecast updates (IBF and operational IBF, warning, watch, alerts ), which would be functioned by the IBF and forecast-based anticipatory action (AA)  platform.

6.10    Improve the informed disaster risk financing system:

Building consensus among the federal government, member state government sector ministries for reforming the national annual fiscal budgetary allocation mechanism for funding disaster risk management actions at the local level. Federal government regional member states’ deed to increase local revenue mobilization and increase budgetary allocation to implement disaster risk management activities. The government agencies at the national and state levels have inadequate technical capacity due to poor local risk governance mechanisms in place. 

Figure  31: Disaster Risk Financing Framework ( proposed) ( Source : Z M Sajjadul Islam )

6.11    Supporting the implementation of risk-informed DRM and DRR

  • Capacity building for improving SoDMA and Local government-led DRM, DRR, and CCA coordination system.
  • Develop a Forecast-based Risk Financing framework (Forecast-based anticipatory action)  for supporting Forecast-based parametric risk insurance facility, early contingency preparations for the humanitarian action.
  • Risk Informed Intervention: Somalia has a national disaster risk management policy (2020) and a Recovery and Resilience Framework (RRF), but still does not have a stakeholders’ mandate actionable plan to translate policy into actions for effective DRM at the local level. Lack of standard operating procedures (SoP) , Lack of national budget allocated for funding disaster risk management actions, Inadequate hazard risk-informed DRM plans,  Inadequate integration and coordination, the  Local community empowerment is limited, and Lack of clear roles and responsibilities of state actors and SoDMA as well.
  • Develop  Risk Transfer mechanism and forecast-based anticipatory action (AA)  framework and action plan, and supporting risk-informed tools for harmonizing the following fund-based interventions of  Adaptation Fund, African Development Bank, EU Fund, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Global Environment Facility(GEF), Green Climate Fund (GCF), INGOs led development interventions

6.12    Improve DRM Planning at the local level :

  • Develop a Cyclone Preparedness Plan (CPP) to raise awareness at every coastal district and community level about the impending cyclones and storms that are being forecasted.
  • Develop a Flood/flash flood/landslide/heavy rainfall Preparedness Plan to raise awareness among vulnerable communities about impending floods, heavy rainfall, and flash floods that are forecasted.

Recommendations:

Improving Multi-hazard/Disaster Crisis response capacity – undertake capacity building in Disaster emergency preparedness, response, and recovery planning. Initiate Institutional and stakeholder capacity building progarmme in  Improving Institutional Capacity in Developing Forecast-based Early Action Protocol (EAP) Development, Improving stakeholder capacity in undertaking forecast-based anticipatory action (AA) planning and implementation capacity (Flash drought, hydrological, meteorological, Fluvial flood, flash flood, transboundary catchment overflow flooding, landslide, cyclone, convective heavy rainfall, tornadoes, thunderstorm, diseases/outbreaks, Earthquake-induced coastal Tsunami, etc.)

6.13   Gender responsive DRR framework :

  1. Deploy gender supportive CAP/weather warning for undertaking Gender in Humanitarian Action  (GiHA)
  • Village-level headwomen (proposed), women members of the CPC, and other social council women members to report to the District CPC about the needs and priorities of women-headed households
  • The Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) : Development of forecast-based GiHA protocol for women/single mothers and girls-headed households
  • Gender action plan in every sector department/cluster (government sector department, every sphere of local government
  • Develop national risk financing framework  ( gender-focused) : The Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs needs to develop a National risk financing framework and DRR budgetary allocation in every fiscal year’s budget ( with gender-based allocations
  • Mandating Local authorities’ planning and budgets:  Local authorities’ budgets are separate from the central Government budget; these are composed of local revenue
  • Develop a forecast-based early action protocol, anticipatory loss and damage (L&D), and impacts level, and instantly broadcasts the messages so that every women-headed household is adequately warned /alerted. National media outlets need to play a pivotal role ( in the local language) by broadcasting a distance learning education program ( radio/TV) for awareness
  • Develop early warning-based anticipatory early actions advisories/bulletins for the women-headed households about what they need to do in the given early warnings and impending hazard conditions, so that they get well alerted and well prepared.
  • Develop national risk financing framework  ( gender-focused) : The Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs needs to develop a National risk financing framework and DRR budgetary allocation in every fiscal year’s budget ( with gender-based allocations)

Figure 32: Gender responsive DRR framework

  • Inadequate city and municipality-level planning and budget allocations for implementing community-level DRM/DRR  schemes. Urban councils do not have a budget for financing  DRM/DRR schemes for poor households 

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Annexure 1 : Civil Protection Committee(CPC) / Disaster Management Committee (DMC)

  1. Municipality Civil Protection Committee(CPC) / Disaster Management Committee (DMC)
SLCommittee memberDuring  normal time Roles /responsibilities during a disaster emergency Responsibilities for risk assessmentResponsibilities for L &D reporting
 Local administration    
 Local Government representatives    
 Municipal Governor/chairman    
 Sector departments at the urban level    
 Clan Leader    
 NGO Consortium Representative    
 Imam of the Mosque    
 Traditional Elder/Leader    
 Somalia Red Cross agency    
 NGOs/CSO    
 University/Academia    
 Technical educational institutes    
 Informal Governing Institutions and Authorities    
 Private Sector    
 Religious elder    
 Religious Leader    
 University Student as a representative    
 Women representative    
 Urban Community leader    
 Urban Women-led organization    
 CSO representative    
 Health worker    
 Commercial herders    
 Commercial smallholder farmers    
 Veterinary technician    
 Medical Representative    
 Cold storage operator    
 Market Player    
 Local Poultry dealers/farmers    
 Local Livestock Dealer    
 Vegetables gardener    
 Local traders    
 Mobile wallet operators /Agent    
 Food Processing entrepreneurs    
 boreholes committee    
 Urban Utility service  Operator    
 WASH Service Providers    
 Urban Broadcasters    
 Urban News Agency    
 Urban Youth Group    
 Urban Transport and Logistics Operators    
 Port Authority    
 Fishermen Committee    
  1. Village-level Civil Protection (CPC)
SLCommittee memberDuring  normal time Roles /responsibilities during a disaster emergency Responsibilities for risk assessmentResponsibilities for L &D reporting
 Traditional Elder/Leader    
 Clan Leader    
 Traditional Elder/Leader    
 Imam of the Mosque    
 Religious elder    
 Religious Leader    
 Agropastoralist    
 Pastoralists    
 Community leader    
 Village chief    
 Agropastoralist    
 Pastoralists    
 University Student representative    
 High School Youth representative    
 Secondary School Youth representative    
 Women representative    
 Community leader    
 CSO representative    
 Somalia Red Cross agency    
 Imam of the Mosque    
 Pastoralists    
 University Student representative    
 High School Youth representative    
 Secondary School Youth representative    
 Women representative    
 Representation of Women-Led Organization    
 Community leader    
 CSO representative    
 Somalia Red Cross agency    
 Women representative    
 Livestock herder    
 Farmers    
 Health worker    
 Family Planning technician    
 Veterinary technician    
 Medical Representative    
 Cold storage operator    
 Local fertilizer dealers    
 Local Poultry dealer/farmers    
 Local Livestock  dealer    
 Fruit gender    
 Vegetables garden    
 Local traders    
 NGO worker    
 Village police    
 Private Sector service providers    
 Mobile Money Outlet    
 Fishermen    
 Redcross volunteers    

Annexure 2: Somali Civil Society Organizations (CSO)

List of civil society organizations participated in the UPR Report:

Mogadishu

  1. Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ)
  2. Marginalized and Minority Groups (MCA)
  3. Humanitarian and Development Network / Cluster
  4. Persons with Disability Cluster
  5. Human Rights Cluster
  6. Women and Child Cluster consisting of:
  7. Northern Frontier Youth League (NoFYL)
  8. WARDI Relief Organization
  9. Somali Women and Child Care Association (SWCCA)
  10. Women Empowerment Development Organization (WEDO)
  11. Somali Young Feminist Network (SYFN)
  12. Humanitarian Cluster
  13. Ifrah Foundation
  14. Somali Health and Development Initiative (SOHDI)
  15. Somali Community Concern (SCC)
  16. Action for Women and Children Concern (AWCC Somalia)
  17. Women Pioneers for Peace and Life (HINNA)
  18. HIWA
  19. WOCCA
  20. Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC)
  21. Humanity & Inclusion Sustainable Advocates (HISA)
  22. Community Aid Action
  23. W (Women Empowerment Platform)
  24. Women and Youth Development Association (SOYDA)
  25. Witness Somalia
  26. Somali Youth Cluster consisting of:
  27. Somali Women Center for Equality and Inclusion (SWCEIN)
  28. De Martino Hospital
  29. Benadir Regional Administration
  30. Midnimo Youth Organization
  31. HYO Youth Organization
  32. Hope Generation
  33. National Generation
  34. Somali Youth Vision
  35. Hiraan Youth Organization
  36. Bulay Students Union
  37. Students Union
  38. Daryeel Bulsho Organization
  39. Medical Doctors Organaization
  40. Youth life for Somalia
  41. Hiran Aid Dev Foundation
  42. Somali Youth Action Network
  43. Somali Women and Child Development Organization (SWCDO)
  44. Ururka Dhalinyarda Daryeel
  45. Health Network
  46. Sustainable Action Against Disaster
  47. Aayotalis for Good Governance

Galmudug

  1. Galmudug Civil Society Actors
  2. Somalia Community Development Organization
  3. Central Regions Disability Organization
  4. Radio Gobolada Dhexe
  5. Integrated Youth and Relief Development Organization
  6. Gurad Legal Aid Association
  7. SSWC
  8. Towfiiq Umbrella Organization
  9. IIDA

HirShabelle

  1. HirShabelle Human Rights Center (SHRC)
  2. Hiiran Women Empowerment Organization (HWEO)
  3. Center for Protection, Relief & Development (CPRD)
  4. Hiran Youth Organization (H.Y.O)
  5. Middle Shabelle Youth Volunteers Corps (MISYVC)
  6. Middle Shabelle Women Union Organization
  7. Hiran Journalists Club (HJC)
  8. Relief, Resilience and Protection (RRP)
  9. Centre for Development & Child Rights
  10. Somali Disability for Advocacy and Protection Network (SDAPN)
  11. Somali Minority Groups Empowerment Network (SMGEN)
  12. Ururka Haweenka Farlibaax (UHF) / Farlibaax Women’s Organization (FWO)
  13. Middle Shabelle Journalists Association / Ururka Suxufiyiinta Shabellehe Dhexe
  14. Ururka Haweenka Gobalka Hiiraan / Hiiraan Woman’s Association
  15. Hiil Bulsho Inclusive Community Project (ICP)

Puntland

  1. Puntland Non-State Actors
  2. Office of Human Rights Defenders
  3. Puntland Relief Aid and Development Organization
  4. Gardafue Association Youth Action Network
  5. Karado Network
  6. Alnasar Women Network
  7. Puntland Nabadoon’s Association
  8. MAP
  9. Disability Centre
  10. Minority Group NGO
  11. Puntland Women Lawyers Association

South West State

  1. Somali South West Non-State Actors
  2. South West Human Rights Defender Network
  3. Allamagan Relief & Rehabilitation for Disabled People Organization
  4. Somali Children Welfare and Right Watch
  5. South West Somali Journalist Association
  6. Minoirty Groups
  7. Kanava Youth Development Center
  8. South Somali Youth Organization
  9. ISHA Human Rights Organization
  10. Southern Somali Intellectuals Council
  11. Somali Community Action Group
  12. BTSC Committee
  13. Danwadaag Community Group
  14. Irman Human Rights Organization
  15. Bay Safe & Development Organization
  16. Center for Education Research Peace & Development
  17. Baidoa Women Development Organization
  18. Bay Women Development Network
  19. Bay Youth Council
  20. Iftin Organization
  21. Iniskoy Peace and Development Organization
  22. Samakab Youth Development Organization
  23. Somali Hope Line for Civil Society Organization
  24. Ma’ani Vocational Training Center
  25. Action for Peace & Development Organization
  26. Somali Human Rights Association
  27. Rural African Women Development
  28. Khalif Huudow Human Rights Organization
  29. Waleweyn Human Rights
  30. Somali Sport Youth Development Organization
  31. Ayub NGO

Jubaland

  1. Jubaland Bar Association (JBA)
  2. Somali Women Solidarity Organization (SWSO)
  3. Return Elite Forum (Youth Group)
  4. Juba Aid, Peace and Development Organization (JAPDO)
  5. Northern Frontier Youth League (NFYL)
  6. Somali Community Concern (SCC)
  7. Jubaland Non-State Actors Association (JUNSAA)
  8. Motherland Somalia
  9. Wamo Relief and Rehabilitation Services (WRRS)
  10. Jubaland Journalist’s Association (JJA)
  11. Wajir South Development Association (WASDA)
  12. Somali Girls Umbrella for Development (SOGUD)
  13. WAWDA