Evaluating the environmental peacemaking in Somalia project

Climate change is leading to a hotter Somalia, with less predictable, more extreme periods of intense rainfall and longer periods of extreme drought. Across the country, prolonged droughts, flooding and soil erosion are already frequent occurrences, stretching the ability of local infrastructure and local, regional and national leadership to provide adequate responses. Compounded by ongoing armed conflicts, including the presence of groups like al-Shabaab, the country faces significant challenges in maintaining stability and resilience.  

As the Somali government begins strengthening its institutional capacity, a value opportunity is presented to develop a strategic approach to environmental peacemaking, addressing both conflict and climate-induced challenges. In this context, the European Institute of Peace (EIP) Environmental Peacemaking in Somalia Project (2023-2024) convened a series of high-level workshops and analyses sessions that brought together representatives from the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and Federal Member States (FMS). These events aimed to serve as critical platforms for dialogue, fostering collaboration on the complex interplay between climate change and conflict while laying the groundwork for coordinated solutions. 

Challenges

Decades of civil war have left Somalia politically fragmented, with environmental stressors further exacerbating tensions. Climate change increases competition over scarce resources, intensifies displacement, and undermines traditional conflict resolution mechanisms.  

The FGS and FMS acknowledge these challenges and are actively working to enhance their institutional capacity and technical expertise and better coordinate their governance structures to implement effective solutions to address climate and conflict security risks. Strengthening cohesion and coherence of authorities, improving infrastructure, and tackling the security risks posed by armed groups emerge as critical areas of focus for sustainable peace and development.

Expertise

The EIP Environmental Peacemaking in Somalia Project focused on fostering dialogue and collaboration through a series of structured workshops and analyses sessions. These events provided a platform for government representatives to engage in knowledge-sharing, policy discussions and joint problem-solving on environmental peacemaking issues.   

Our evaluation assessed the project’s effectiveness, identifying successes and areas for improvement. Using remote methodologies, we conducted interviews with Somali state and national officials, non-governmental organisations and international actors.This approach enabled a comprehensive analysis of how the project influenced discourse, policy coordination and intergovernmental engagement on environmental peacemaking.  

In synthesising these findings, we developed key lessons and actionable recommendations for enhancing future environmental peacemaking initiatives. Our work underscored the importance of sustained dialogue, cross-sector collaboration and capacity-building efforts in addressing the intersection of climate and conflict in Somalia. 

Impact

The results of the evaluation shed light on the effects of dialogue in raising awareness about environmental peacemaking opportunities in Somalia as well as the possibility of future collaboration to achieve shared climate and conflict-related objectives in the country. It also identified lessons learned that will support EIP in further developing and refining its approach to environmental peacemaking, generating increased and sustainable impacts. 

This assessment was carried out by Oxford Policy Management. Technical support was provided by Fatima Osman, our Somali Advisor. We are thankful for her contribution. 

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