Across Somalia, climate risks are increasingly intersecting with development, peace and security challenges, shaping how communities experience and respond to crises.

In recent years, the country has faced repeated cycles of prolonged droughts followed by severe flooding – affecting agriculture, water availability and livelihoods, particularly in rural and pastoral areas. More than 3.4 million people in the country are internally displaced due to a combination of climate shocks, conflict and insecurity, while an estimated 6.5 million face acute food insecurity.

These overlapping risks underscore a critical reality – building resilience must go beyond responding to crises. It calls for stronger systems, more coordinated institutions and empowered communities.

With support from the European Union and UNDP, Somalia is advancing an integrated approach to disaster risk reduction, recovery and resilience – linking national frameworks with local action, and placing community leadership at the centre.

Strengthening national systems and planning

At the national level, progress begins with strengthening how recovery is understood and planned.

Following the 2023 Deyr floods, the Government of Somalia, through the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), led a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA). This globally recognized methodology – developed jointly by the European Union, the United Nations, and the World Bank – helps assess the full impact of disasters and define recovery priorities across sectors such as housing, infrastructure and livelihoods.

Through this process, sectoral ministries and partners worked together to shape a coordinated recovery pathway, reinforcing national ownership and institutional alignment. This includes finalizing the National Housing Act, Policy and Guidelines, alongside developing a roadmap for building codes and standards to improve the resilience of infrastructure and housing.

Additional technical assistance has also on a Post-Flood Housing Reconstruction and Recovery Policy, promoting an owner-driven approach that enables households to rebuild with guidance and support from the government.

Community-based response

Closer to the ground, resilience is being reinforced through community-based systems.

Recognizing that disasters are first experienced locally, the EU and UNDP have supported the establishment of a Disaster Volunteer Network (DVN) across 16 flood-affected districts. This network brings together trained volunteers from youth groups, women’s associations and community-based organizations, forming a structured approach to preparedness, response and recovery.

Today, a cadre of 226 trained community volunteers are actively supporting drought response efforts – contributing to early warning dissemination, rapid assessments, community mobilization and service delivery in affected areas. This marks a shift from informal community response mechanisms toward a more coordinated and sustained model of local action, aligned with national disaster management systems.

Women leading the way

Through the DVN, women from affected communities who were previously underrepresented in decision-making spaces are now actively shaping preparedness, response and recovery at the local level.

In many households, women are responsible for managing water, food and caregiving. This means they are often the first to notice early signs of stress – whether it is declining water availability, reduced food consumption or changes in household well-being. They bring a level of situational awareness that is both immediate and highly localized.

Women volunteers are often able to access parts of the community that formal systems may not reach as easily, particularly other women, children and vulnerable groups. Their active participation helps ensure that early warnings are understood and acted upon by all, that support reaches those most at risk, and that community priorities are reflected in how response and recovery are organized. 

Their presence also strengthens trust. As known members of the community, they are able to mobilize neighbours, encourage collective action and support households in ways that are culturally and socially accepted. These factors translate into more timely and inclusive response.

An integrated approach for lasting resilience

By connecting national systems with community action, Somalia is advancing a more comprehensive approach to resilience.

Institutional strengthening ensures that recovery is planned, coordinated and sustained. Community-based networks ensure that response is timely, locally grounded and inclusive. And the growing leadership of women is helping to make both more effective.

Together, these elements point to a broader shift – towards a model of resilience that is built not only through policies and programmes, but through people, partnerships and local leadership.