Green Climate Fund Provides $95M to Support Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Somalia
On 24 October 2024, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) , with the support of Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, approved funding to the tune of USD 94.9 million to foster climate-resilient agriculture and landscape management in Somalia. The Climate Resilient Agriculture Project is expected to have a duration of seven years and is known as ‘Ugbaad’, which means ‘Hope’ in Somali language.
The Ugbaad Project aims to restore carbon capturing landscape and sustainable and improve water access. Moreover, it will promote climate-resilient agriculture through the application of adapted seeds and feed in order to make the food crops and livestock more resilient to #ClimateChange.
“Climate change is a matter of survival for Somalia. The Climate Resilient Agriculture project, backed by the Green Climate Fund, will help over two million people restore our land, improve food security, and build resilience against the severe climate impacts we face today.”
Somalia Minister of Environment and Climate Change Khadija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi
The Project will also improve market access for smallholders and provide climate related information among communities. At the institutional level, the Project will reinforce the capacity of the officials in order to better cope with climate shocks.
The Project has already identified 50,00 hectares of degraded land which needs to be rehabilitated. Ugbaad will sensitive 86,000 farmers and pastoralists to the challenges posed by #ClimateChange and prepare them for adaptation via Climate-Smart Agriculture.
Certain key infrastructure such as irrigation canals will be rehabilitated to improve crop yield. Similarly, rural roads will be upgraded to improve connectivity and facilitate the movement of agriculture produce to local markets.
At the end, GCF and FAO hopes to enhance #FoodSecurity in the face of challenges posed by #ClimateChange through institutional capacity building and community support on the ground.
“By empowering vulnerable communities with the knowledge, tools, and technologies needed to adapt, we are investing in agrifood solutions that bring food security, support livelihoods, and help countries confront climate change.”
FAO Director Kaveh Zahedi