Tuesday December 7, 2021
MOGADISHU (HOL) - The EU and UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) today handed over the new Information Management Centre to Somali government to enable it manage its water and land information.
According to a statement following the handover ceremony, the IMC will help the government to enhance technical and operational capacity to produce and provide water and land (WAL) information products and services that inform policy, planning and future development initiatives in the country.
The Information Management Centre (IMC) is part of the European Union funded Integrated Land and Water Resources Management (ILWRM) project, which focuses on establishing a centre in each of the two regions of Puntland and Somaliland.
The Puntland centre will generate regionally relevant data, information and knowledge to inform the sustainable development of WAL resources in each territory.
Today, the European Union (EU) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) officially handed over the new Information Management Centre (IMC) to the Government.
The launch is part of ongoing joint efforts by FAO in conjunction with the Government to enhance technical and operational capacity to produce and provide water and land (WAL) information products and services that inform policy, planning and future development initiatives in the country.
Puntland President Abdullahi Deni welcomed the project noting it will go a long way in supporting government management of water and land resources.
"This centre will support the Government in management of Land and Water Resources, and ultimately the people of Somalia as we are all the stewards of these assets for now and for the future,” said Deni.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) established a secure platform for the management and development of Somalia’s water, and land (WAL) resources managed through the Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) project since 2002.
Since then, FAO-SWALIM has become a flagship programme for Somalia, and for FAO globally, providing up-to-date information on the scope, extent, quality, and quantity of WAL resources across the country as a subset of natural resource management (NRM).
Through its long-term programme of development cooperation with the Somali government, FAO-SWALIM has reached some notable achievements, underpinning the relevance of this project.
The Information Management Centre (IMC) is part of the European Union funded Integrated Land and Water Resources Management (ILWRM) project, which focuses on establishing a centre in each of the two regions of Puntland and Somaliland.
The Puntland centre will generate regionally relevant data, information and knowledge to inform the sustainable development of WAL resources in each territory.
“This centre will support the Government in management of Land and Water Resources, and ultimately the people of Somalia as we are all the stewards of these assets for now and for the future,” said His Excellency Mr Said Abdullahi Deni, the president of the Puntland State of Somalia. “We take pride in supporting the establishment of this centre, and I envision to see it as a centre of excellence in providing state of the art services to develop the land and water resource base of Puntland. These efforts also require joining hands among the partners - EU, FAO and the government - beyond the establishment done now,” he said.
The handover ceremony, which took place in Garowe today, was attended by His Excellency, the President of Puntland State of Somalia, Mr Said Abdullahi Deni, The Hon. State Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Abdirahman Aided Ibrahim, Representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, Water, Livestock and HADMA, FAO Representative in Somalia, Mr Etienne Peterschmitt, and Information Management Centre Director, Mr Abdinur Jama.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) established a secure platform for the management and development of Somalia’s water, and land (WAL) resources managed through the Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) project since 2002. Since then, FAO-SWALIM has become a flagship programme for Somalia, and for FAO globally, providing up-to-date information on the scope, extent, quality, and quantity of WAL resources across the country as a subset of natural resource management (NRM).
Through its long-term programme of development cooperation with the Somali government, FAO-SWALIM has reached some notable achievements, underpinning the relevance of this project.
This centre contributes to the FAO’s regional initiative on building resilience in Africa’s drylands.
Indeed, it strengthens institutional capacity and decision-making support for Somalia’s agriculture, livestock, fisheries and NRM sectors, and will thereby contribute to the strengthening of Somalia’s agri-food systems into the future,” said Etienne Peterschmitt, FAO Representative in Somalia. “FAO is privileged to have contributed to IMC establishment, nevertheless the sustainability of this nascent initiative requires continued efforts and synergy among the partners represented here,” he added.