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MOGADISHU — In a strategic move toward shifting disaster management from reactive responses to preventive action, the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SODMA), in partnership with CARE International in Somalia, hosted a two-day national consultative workshop on August 3–4, 2025, in Mogadishu. The event was part of the “Anticipatory Action and Climate Resilience along Transhumance Corridors” (AART) project.
Held under the theme “Strengthening Governance in Anticipatory Action”, the workshop aimed to develop a comprehensive national framework for early drought preparedness, enabling government institutions and local communities to detect climate risks early and implement preventive measures to mitigate their economic, social, and environmental impacts.
In his opening remarks, Khadar Sheikh Mohamed, SODMA’s Director of Disaster Risk Management, described the workshop as “a significant step toward a safer future,” urging participants to contribute insights that address present needs and lay the groundwork for future resilience.
Similarly, Mohamed Tahir, AART Project Coordinator at CARE International in Somalia, stressed the importance of ensuring that the final framework reflects the realities of local challenges and needs.
Attendees included representatives from federal disaster management ministries, the Anticipatory Action Technical Working Group, project partners, UN agencies, civil society organizations, academia, and development partners.
Discussions centered on five key pillars: early warning triggers and thresholds, pre-planning and early action, governance and coordination, flexible and sustainable financing, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning for improved future performance. Expert facilitators from Glir Consultancy oversaw the sessions, ensuring productive engagement from all stakeholders.
The workshop concluded with a set of recommendations that will inform the draft of Somalia’s national anticipatory action framework for drought, blending local knowledge with institutional expertise to shift the national response from late-stage crisis management to proactive preparedness.
This initiative comes amid worsening drought cycles affecting millions across Somalia, reinforcing SODMA’s vision of building an integrated national climate readiness system to drive a paradigm shift in environmental risk management.
