Issue No: 2 March 2013

Sustainable Employment Creation and Improved SECIL Livelihoods for Vulnerable Urban Communities in EMPLOYMENT & LIVELIHOODS NEWSLETTER October 2012 - June 2013 Rehabilitation economic Ongoing infrastructure co-funded PDR2

until June Economic GIS mapping

Water sector analysis and strategy Oct to Jan formation Assessment to identify key economic Oct to Jan projects for rehabilitation Construction sector analysis and Oct to Jan strategy formulation

Oct to June Awareness campaign 1: solid waste

Development of monitoring and Nov to Dec evaluation framework

Nov to Dec Solid waste management baseline study

Public-private partnerships feasibility Nov to Dec study Open day at Benadir Regional 10 Dec Administration for private companies

13 to 14 Dec Planning workshop

A semblance of normal life in Mogadishu © UN-Habitat Awareness campaign 2: water – Dec to Jan children’s painting competition

21 Jan Recycling round table SECIL evolves and grows

5 Feb Second Steering Committee meeting

6 Feb Briefing of district commissioners The past five months since publishing the first issue of the newsletter for the project Sustainable Employment Creation and Improved Agreement on key economic projects 7 Feb for second phase assessment Livelihoods for Vulnerable Urban Communities in Mogadishu (SECIL) have been enlightening, intense, productive, and pioneering. Feb Approval of environmental decree

Capacity building for BRA, districts, Feb ‘Enlightening’, as several studies and analyses have been completed, private companies, garbage collectors providing a better understanding of current actors, needs, and Signing of public-private partnership 4 March conditions in the five urban sectors SECIL is addressing: Economic contracts Rehabilitation, Solid Waste Management, Construction, Water and March SECIL Newsletter 2 Sanitation, and Energy and Environment. Cleaning campaign, start of collection March service, construction of transfer stations ‘Intense’, as relationships have been strengthened through a series of March Pilot construction training coordination and planning meetings, culminating in the second SECIL

Exhibition of children’s painting Steering Committee meeting in Mogadishu on 5 February 2013. April competition Design phase and tender process for April to June ‘Productive’, as several activities have been implemented, strategies rehabilitation developed, and a large number of people reached through awareness- April to June Pilot project on Prosopis juliflora raising campaigns in the water and solid waste sectors.

May Recycling open day ‘Pioneering’, as a new urban service, solid waste management, has

May to Oct Roll-out of construction training been initiated in the four centrally located pilot districts: Hamarweyne, Shangani, Hamarjajab, and Waberi. June Urban water dialogue Change in project direction In November 2012, SECIL partners Cooperazione E Sviluppo Onlus (CESVI), Human Relief Foundation, and UN-Habitat, together with the European Union, made two crucial decisions: • Firstly, to drop the programme’s trade, processing, and manufacturing component in favour of a more comprehensive engagement in the other five sectors. As the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and theWorld Bank have confirmed their long-term engagement in this field in south central , SECIL’s comparatively small engagement was no longer crucial. The freed budget will be used for additional activities in the construction and water sectors to further increase employment and expand economic rehabilitation. • Secondly, to implement SECIL without involvement of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which was responsible for the programme’s trade, processing, and manufacturing component. Some additional activities formerly in the portfolio of the ILO are now being implemented by other SECIL partners.

Outlook In the upcoming months Benadir Regional Administration, together with SECIL partners, will implement numerous ongoing and new activities to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable groups in Mogadishu. Initial experiences from the waste collection service will be documented and possible changes and adaptations to improve the service will be identified and put into action. The winners of the children’s painting competition will be nominated and their work exhibited in Mogadishu. A pilot project on the sustainable removal and use of the invasive plant Prosopis juliflora will be started and the preparatory work for the rehabilitation projects finalized. Britta Peters, UN-Habitat

The second SECIL Steering Committee meeting in session in Mogadishu on 5 February © UN-Habitat

SECIL Steering Committee holds fruitful second meeting

The second Steering Committee meeting of the SECIL project took place on 5 February 2013 in Mogadishu, attended by the vice-mayors in charge of Social and Political Affairs and Administration and Finance, the head of the Urban Planning Department, representatives from CESVI, Human Relief Foundation, and the European Union, and five UN-Habitat staff, including the Chief Technical Advisor.

The key topic of the presentations and ensuing discussions was the imminent roll-out of the solid waste management system in the four pilot districts of Hamarjajab, Waberi, Hamarweyne, and Shingani. The system will rely on household- and enterprise-based garbage collection and a system of transfer stations, from where refuse will be transported to designated landfills under a public–private partnership arrangement. There will be a one-off clean-up before the system sets in. Jobs will be created through the street-level collection, which will be carried out by trained, medically protected, properly dressed and equipped staff. Households and businesses are supposed to pay an affordable fee for garbage collection. The system design is supported by an extensive baseline and feasibility study and enjoys the full support of the district commissioners.

Additional discussions over the following days focused on social infrastructure investments and the refinement of project priorities.

Dorothee von Brentano, UN-Habitat 2 SECIL Newsletter March 2013 Bringing economic life back to Mogadishu

In order to identify key rehabilitation projects that have the potential to increase employment and stimulate economic activities, SECIL contracted the Norwegian Somali Self-help Organization (NorSom) to conduct an in-depth assessment.

The assessment was divided into two phases: Phase 1 – which NorSom, in close collaboration with the Benadir Regional Administration, completed between November 2012 and February 2013 – involved a general assessment of potential projects.

Phase 2, completed in mid-March, involves a more detailed assessment of the prioritized projects identified in Phase 1 – 11 projects that have high potential for creating permanent employment and stimulating economic development: Unused cubicles at Ansaloti Market in Hamarjajab © UN-Habitat

Project District

1 Slaughterhouse Abdulaziz

2 Hamarweyne Meat Market Hamarweyne

3 Hamarweyne Fish Market Hamarweyne

4 Sinay Market Warta Nabadda

5 Suuq Bacaad Meat Market Yaqshid

The collapsed roof of Sinay Market © NorSom 6 Bula Hubey Meat Market Wadajir

7 Ansaloti Market Hamarjajab

8 Beerta Meat Market Waberi

9 Shibis Meat Market Shibis

10 Hand Weaving/Handicraft Hamarweyne Project

11 Grinding Mills Wardhigley, Hamarweyne

Vendors at Sinay Market © NorSom

On 7 February 2013 representatives of UN-Habitat, Benadir Regional Administration, and NorSom participated in an intensive planning meeting at the administration’s premises in Mogadishu to discuss the above findings. In the presence of the mayor, two of his vice-mayors, and the heads of the Market and Urban Planning Departments, the following seven projects were identified as the most promising: Abdulaziz Slaughterhouse (temporary use only); Hamarweyne Meat Market; Sinay Market; Suuq Bacaad Market; Bula Hubey Market; Ansaloti Market; and the Handicraft Project.

Beginning in mid-February, Phase 2 will look at these projects in greater depth by doing the following: • Conducting detailed economic, environmental, and social feasibility studies • Identifying the requirements for technical and structural improvements, including a detailed proposal and cost estimation for rehabilitation • Assessing current administrative/management structures and identifying issues to be improved

All projects will be designed to maximize employment opportunities and customers’ access to improved infrastructure, and to stimulate a chain of economic activities. Management structures such as vendors associations or cooperatives will be set up and their capacity built to guarantee sustainable management that, among other tasks, will be responsible for organizing cleaning, maintenance, fees/licences, and comprehensive waste management solutions such as composting.

Mohamed Elmi Sabrie and Hölje Haugsjaa, NorSom SECIL Newsletter March 2013 3 Planning and development require spatial knowledge

The Mogadishu district mapping under SECIL focuses on the geographic information system-based inventory of public, institutional, and economic infrastructure in all 16 districts of Mogadishu. The project is being implemented as a continuation of the geographic information system (GIS) mapping from 2010/2011, under which a base map and district profiles were developed, including extensive attribute data on public assets (schools, health facilities, markets, institutions, and utility services such as water, electricity, and telecommunications).

The mapping work under SECIL builds on these district profiles by enriching them with details about local enterprises: location, size, number of employees (male, female), access to basic Abdulaziz health facilities © UN-Habitat infrastructure (roads, water, electricity), type of business, and description of goods sold or produced or service provided, as well as the source of the goods sold (imported or locally produced).

The extended mapping work, attribute collection, and database development has been completed in 12 districts – Waberi, Hamarjajab, Hamarweyne, Abdulaziz, Dharkenley, Shibis, Shingani, Bondhere, Heliwa, Yaqshid, Wardhigley, and Karran. Data collection for the remaining districts will be completed by the end of June 2013.

The updated and strengthened databases will be handed over to the Benadir Regional Administration, together with capacity building related to its usage, and can be used as a planning and coordination tool for future rehabilitation projects and infrastructure interventions.

Despite the extremely fragile security situation in Mogadishu, the grass-roots approach of directly involving district stakeholders has mitigated hostilities in the fragmented city

The GIS mapping process © SAACID The GIS mapping and thus ensured progress.

Asia Adam, UN-Habitat

SECIL and the Participatory District Rehabilitation in Mogadishu Project team up on 16 projects

SECIL works in close partnership with the UN Joint Programme on Local Governance and Decentralized Service Delivery and the Participatory District Rehabilitation in Mogadishu Project. A consultative process within this partnership has identified 16 projects for rehabilitation: 6 district offices, 7 meeting halls, 2 markets, ahealth centre, and several basketball courts. To date, 80 percent of the projects have been completed and handed over to the communities; the remaining projects are being finalized within the first quarter of 2013.

Badbaado Market in is one of the projects with an economic orientation; its construction has provided permanent employment to 27 persons (24 vendors, 2 security guards, and 1 cleaner). Over the three- month construction period, 720 additional temporary working days were created in the construction sector.

David Dominic Maliro, UN-Habitat 4 SECIL Newsletter March 2013 A new municipal solid waste management system for Mogadishu: a clean neighbourhood is a good neighbourhood!

All the fruitful meetings, workshops, training sessions, and round tables held in the past months, together with the full commitment and active participation of all the actors involved in the process, have led Mogadishu to a crucial point: the new municipal garbage collection system is finally ready to be implemented in four pilot districts in Somalia’s capital. The Benadir Regional Administration, in collaboration with UN-Habitat, CESVI, and Human Relief Foundation, is working on the last details of the system in preparation for the official launch of the collection service. The task force team has been working with the aim of improving the environment and protecting the health of the urban population, in particular that of the most vulnerable groups, as well as generating employment and incomes

in the sector itself. Waste collection vehicles © Mohamed Sheikh Nor, UN-Habitat

The new system has been designed to be sustainable and aims to support urban economic development by providing waste management services and ensuring the efficient utilization and conservation of valuable materials and resources through recycling and energy production activities. The collection system will serve approximately 33,000 households and 1,600 enterprises and will employ more than 200 individuals from its 4 pilot districts: Hamarjajab, Hamarweyne, Shangani, and Waberi. The system will operate through a public–private partnership between the Benadir Regional Administration and three private companies.

Households will pay a small fee to the private companies for the provision of a door-to-door garbage collection service. This fee allows for private companies to cover all collection costs and ensure ongoing service provision. Enterprises and institutions will pay a fixed rate, according to their size and the amount and type of waste produced. Environmental decrees on good practices related to garbage disposal and garbage collection have been signed by the mayor of Mogadishu and will soon be enforced by the urban police. Awareness activities are ongoing and will continue for the whole length of the project: the first phase of radio campaigns is coming to an end and will make way for drama performances, megaphone messages, leaflets and posters, slogans, and urban graffiti.

The collection system will be improved throughout the pilot phase and step-by-step converted into a more comprehensive system that includes recycling and energy production activities, hazardous waste management, intermediate collection points (transfer stations), and new official disposal sites.

Isabella Garino, CESVI

Solid Waste Management Planning Workshop: no breakthrough without participation

A two-day participative workshop was organized in Nairobi (13–14 December 2012) for the purpose of drafting a strategy for the solid waste management system to be implemented in four pilot districts in Mogadishu. Under the leadership of UN-Habitat, the Benadir Regional Administration, CESVI, and Human Relief Foundation gathered to discuss the major findings of a series of surveys and assessments conducted in Mogadishu (a knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey, a solid waste management sector analysis, and a public–private partnership feasibility study) so as to set some milestones for the new garbage collection system. On the agenda: calculating the amount of waste generated per district per week and identifying the best kind of system to put in place, in terms of costs, human resources, labour force, facilities, tools, and equipment needed. A public–private partnership arrangement for the collection and management of garbage in the four districts was discussed as the most sustainable long-term solution, and the most suitable private companies were selected. Another relevant outcome of the workshop was the identification of key environmental by-laws and decrees to be drafted for Mogadishu – the essential foundations for a sound waste management system.

Isabella Garino, CESVI SECIL Newsletter March 2013 5 Recycling round table produces green solutions

On 21 January 2013 SECIL held a round-table discussion for actors working in the recycling and energy sectors within Kenya and the region. Attendees included Ecocentric, a consortium of environmental experts whose extensive experience includes the production of energy from waste; Green Resources Exploration, who specialize in organic fertilizer production; and Tamia Limited, a private waste collection company operating in Kenya.

The discussion served as a forum for the sharing of ideas and experiences in the waste collection, recycling, and energy sectors. It was highly productive in generating ideas and proposing ways forward with regard to stimulating employment in the fields of recycling and ‘Energy and Environment’ – one of SECIL’s core focuses. Some of the proposed projects were the production of organic fertilizer at the household and industrial level, the development of urban agriculture initiatives, the solar treatment of water, and the creation of cooperatives and small-scale businesses able to generate sustainable levels of income through the recycling of solid waste or creation of energy from waste.

To follow up on the meeting, SECIL proposed facilitating a workshop in Mogadishu to increase awareness of the environmental importance of recycling, as well as the potential it presents for economic gain. The workshop aims to increase both private and public interest in recycling and energy activities, with the intention of strengthening public–private partnerships between local authorities and private enterprises to facilitate cooperation and ensure increased levels of project ownership and sustainability. Clare Sadd, UN-Habitat

HABKA QASHIN Multi-pronged campaign boosts public awareness SECIL URUURINTA EMPLOYMENT & LIVELIHOODS 1 2

Waxaa lagu Ku rid siinayaa qashinkaada bacada bacda ama qashinka haanta loogu bacda adage talagalay. waxaa lagu Ha ku shubin ridayaa qashinka Over the past two months SECIL has been focusing on beginning a solid qashinka. khatarta ah Wax yeelada bacda. leh mida kale waste collection service in four pilot districts in Mogadishu. Because the nah waxa lagu ridyaa qashinka aan wax yeelada official collection of solid waste is a relatively new concept for the city’s leheen. residents, it is imperative that there is a strong and clear campaign to 3 SHURUUCDA Ku keydi CUSUB increase awareness, not only about the service itself, but also about the qashinkaada meel asturan 1.ha qubin fadlan mar qashinka walibo environmental and health benefits of implementing such a service. kana fugee 2.ha gubin carurtaada qashinka ilaa malintaas laga qadaayo 3.ha duugin malintaas xaqiiji qashinka in bacaha 4. ku shub qashinka qashinka ay afka The awareness-raising campaign began with the broadcasting of radio ka xiran yihin khatarta leh haamahana ay meel ku habboon daboolanyihin. messages and soap operas throughout Mogadishu. Through the use Xaafad nadiif ah 4 of real life stories and comedy, the radio campaign helped to bring the waa Xaafad wanaagsan potentially dull topic of solid waste to life – giving people something to relate to and increasing their awareness of the environmental and the Nadaafaddu waa iimaanka social implications of their everyday actions. To strengthen this message, barkiis Maalinta qashin qaadista fadlan dhig qashinkaaga banaanka albaabkaaga. qashinka waala qaadayaa waxaan lagu so daadinayaa meesha logu tala galay. SECIL has produced thousands of posters and leaflets explaining the waste Printing: UNON, Publishing Services Section, Nairobi, ISO 14001:2004-certified. Printing: UNON, Publishing Services Section, Nairobi, collection service and raising awareness on new environmental decrees to be introduced in the coming weeks. These posters will be distributed to HABKA QASHIN SECIL over 35,000 households and enterprises throughout the 4 pilot districts. URUURINTA EMPLOYMENT & LIVELIHOODS 1 2 In addition, private companies involved in waste collection – in cooperation with the Benadir Regional Administration – are conducting a megaphone campaign to spread awareness street by street. A local theatre group will also perform in public places throughout target districts, while local Waxa lagu Qashinka siinaya ku rid artists decorate the town with awareness-raising slogans. To formalize this bacda bacda qashinka qashinka campaign, local authorities, community and religious leaders, and teachers are currently being briefed on the collection service, the importance of 3 SHURUUCDA CUSUB Afka ka 1.ha qubin social responsibility, and the impact of waste on the environment and xir bacda qashinka ee qashinka dhig guriga 2.ha gubin health of Mogadishu residents. hortiisa qashinka maalinta 3.ha duugin qashin qashinka uruurinta The far-reaching campaign targets all levels of society – from local

Xaafad 4 authorities and leaders to businesses, schools, women, and children. Apart nadiif ah from raising awareness, it hopes to create positive approaches to waste waa Xaafad wanaagsan and increase standards of living by creating a sense of social responsibility Nadaafaddu and instilling a new sense of pride in the local area. waa iimaanka Bacda qashinka waxaa laga barkiis qaadayaa gurigaaga ayadoo la geynayo meel ku haboon Printing: UNON, Publishing Services Section, Nairobi, ISO 14001:2004-certified. Printing: UNON, Publishing Services Section, Nairobi,

Clare Sadd, UN-Habitat 6 SECIL Newsletter March 2013 Mogadishu mayor signs first batch of solid waste management agreements

Solid waste management in Mogadishu entered a new era on 4 March 2013, when the mayor and representatives of three private companies signed agreements that will bring solid waste collection services to four pilot inner-city districts. The use of public–private partnerships for the delivery of such services is a first in the history of the city, as previously they were centralized and delivered through government departments. However, the Sanitation Department of the Benadir Regional Administration is ill-equipped to cope with the waste challenges in this rapidly expanding city, which is now entering a period of post-war recovery and sustained economic

growth. The 4 March meeting © UN-Habitat

The 3 private companies were chosen through a rigorous and transparent selection process, which started in December when 15 private companies from the sector attended an open briefing session facilitated by UN-Habitat at the offices of the Benadir Regional Administration. From these participants, a number of companies were shortlisted; after a verification process, three companies were selected and matched to the four districts as follows: Dambar General Supply and Service – Hamarjajab; Mogadishu Cleaning Company – Hamarweyne and Shangani; and WasteSom – Waberi.

The new, innovative solid waste management public–private partnership document is about creating an enabling environment for the safe delivery of solid waste collection services, using an economically viable system that creates local jobs while providing the private partners with opportunities to invest in future services. The signed agreement clearly lists the responsibilities of the Benadir Regional Administration and each of the respective private partners and was formed after a rigorous negotiation that left no stone unturned. It is consequently very specific to the local context rather than following a template from outside. The negotiation process was useful for identifying and mitigating potential service delivery constraints and was found to be particularly well suited to the entrepreneurial spirit that is clearly evident in the Somali private sector.

Final preparations are being made before the private partners start delivering their services. Once the pilot projects in the four districts are up and running, Mogadishu will be watching, with businesspeople aware that new opportunities for public–private partnerships to delivery

Responsible waste disposal is urgently required © Mohamed Sheikh Nor, UN-Habitat Responsible waste disposal is urgently solid waste management services to other districts of the city may soon emerge.

Andrew Adam-Bradford, Human Relief Foundation

Good things ahead for Mogadishu as WasteSom starts to collect waste

WasteSom is extremely happy to become the first private company providing waste management solutions to households, commercial areas, and public institutions in . We already have plans to expand to other districts and to provide recycling activities. It will be a process of “taking the rough with the smooth”, as convincing companies to move from low-cost informal waste collectors to formalized waste collection will present difficulties. Certain large commercial enterprises have openly stated that they prefer to employ illegal waste collectors in order to pay a lower fee. Despite the challenges, WasteSom is determined to serve Mogadishu inhabitants, as we take pride in being a friendly enterprise that puts social and environmental aspects before profit making.

Editor’s note: WasteSom is one of three private companies selected to provide the solid waste collection service through a public– private partnership with Benadir Regional Administration.

Cali Cusmaan Macallin, Managing Director SECIL Newsletter March 2013 7 Analysis builds understanding of Mogadishu’s construction sector

Construction activities in Mogadishu © Mohamed Sheikh Nor, UN-Habitat

In order to understand the current situation, actors, and challenges in the Mogadishu construction sector, as well as its potential, a construction sector analysis was conducted between November 2012 and February 2013. A construction consultant was hired to collect facts through interviewing various actors in the sector, such as government authorities, contractors, building material suppliers, manufacturers, construction industry clients, and construction workers. The analysis was designed to collect information, identify key interventions required, and suggest recommendations that will help improve the performance of the sector in terms of providing quality construction and creating employment.

A major difficulty during the sector analysis was the lack of accurate, detailed, and comparable data. To a large extent, this is due to the fragmentation of the construction sector and its close association and occasional merging with other sectors. However, more than anything else, the paucity of sector information is linked to the current situation in Mogadishu, where recovery has just started after a long and devastating civil war, and where the construction sector grows without formal regulations or control mechanisms.

Based on the findings of the construction sector analysis, the following recommendations for future SECIL interventions have been made: 1. Supporting the government to set up structures and systems to regulate and govern the construction sector, possibly including support in developing national building codes and city by-laws and registering building contractors and other construction professionals 2. Short-term skills upgrading: (a) training of construction foremen on the basics of good construction practices; (b) training of skilled construction labourers, such as masons and carpenters, to raise the level of their skills; (c) organizing courses on concrete technology for producers of concrete blocks and other similar products; and (d) organizing courses on basic business management for building material producers 3. Long-term skills upgrading: supporting the government to establish sustainable educational systems and vocational training institutions that will produce a trained construction workforce at the level of construction supervisors, artisans, and semi-skilled workers 4. Encouraging the formation of professional associations for the purpose of enforcing professional ethics and discipline that will enhance the quality of construction products and buildings 5. Establishing a testing facility for building materials in Mogadishu, thus facilitating standardization and the improved quality of materials used in the construction industry and buildings 6. Introducing appropriate construction technologies such as stabilized soil blocks and low-cost housing

Solomon Mwangi, building and construction consultant and Dragan Tatic, UN-Habitat 8 SECIL Newsletter March 2013 Mogadishu water sector analysis flows into new strategies

Mogadishu is undergoing significant changes, transitioning to normalcy after the 20 years of conflict that left large parts of the city in ruins, including the pre-war water system (which was being constructed and expanded when hostilities broke out). After this collapse, the city reverted to its traditional water supply: shallow wells that are unregulated and prone to saltwater intrusion. There are also a limited number of deeper boreholes and small-scale reticulated distribution systems, as well as a large number of water redistributors (donkey carts, handcarts, water trucks).

The general water quality in Mogadishu is poor, with relatively high salinity and bacterial content. The major pollutants include nitrates, pathogenic bacteria or microorganisms, protozoa, viruses, domestic waste, and helminths (worms). Hazardous bacterial contamination is quite widespread in areas with shallow groundwater tables and during the rainy seasons. Pit latrines often directly drain into the aquifer, while surface waste is not effectively filtered out. The warm climate allows the relatively rapid propagation of bacteria and the spread of dangerous waterborne diseases. As a result, deadly outbreaks of cholera are relatively frequent in Mogadishu.

Under natural conditions, most microorganisms are effectively removed after filtering through the unsaturated zone and during residence and flow within the aquifer. Most pathogenic organisms cannot survive underground without oxygen (e.g. in deep boreholes). As a result, they are mainly a problem in surface water systems and open unprotected wells (which are the main water supply source in Mogadishu). Filtering at the point of supply or at the household

level is a suitable option for providing clean water. Nor, UN-Habitat in Hamarjajab © Mohamed Sheikh water Woman collecting

The background of early recovery and ongoing reconstruction work in the city now provides a fresh opportunity to reassess Mogadishu water supplies and identify opportunities that support a range of efforts to improve water services. With this in mind, SECIL has completed a situational analysis of the Mogadishu water sector, with particular focus on the existing small- to medium-scale water supplies, possible improvement of water quality through treatment, capacity development, regulation and association of water users, and the possible rehabilitation of the reticulated water system. The study will inform development strategies for possible interventions under SECIL and beyond.

Based on the water sector analysis, SECIL is considering the following interventions: • Facilitating dialogue in the water sector through the organization of an open forum on Mogadishu water with a wide range of stakeholders; fostering consensus on the prevailing problems and needs of the sector and developing solutions and plans to enhance and improve the water supply, while contributing to job creation and improved livelihoods • Rehabilitating and equipping the ex-Aquadota building as a multi-purpose training facility, in collaboration with the Benadir Regional Administration; developing vocational training curricula and manuals relevant to the water sector, focusing on plumbing skills, pump maintenance, small- to medium-scale water utility management, and water quality and treatment • Supporting improvements and extensions of existing privately operated small- to medium-scale water reticulation systems, with the aim of creating improved access through kiosks and direct connections for 8,000 households • Supporting the establishment of a household water filter production facility in Mogadishu, in collaboration with German Red Cross and Somali Red Crescent; assisting with establishing a market for the filter products • Developing the capacities of the newly established Mogadishu Water Supply Agency • Carrying out an engineering survey of the public reticulated water supply system (based on clean water supply from deep boreholes outside the city) and a full feasibility study of its rehabilitation and reinstatement

Marco van der Plas, UN-Habitat SECIL Newsletter March 2013 9 Children’s painting competition brings water awareness and rare exhibition

Somalia is an arid and semi-arid country with recurring droughts; water is scarce and water quality is relatively poor due to high levels of salinity. To raise awareness on the importance of clean water for human beings, animals, plants, and our planet, SECIL is bringing to Mogadishu UNEP’s 22nd International Children’s Painting Competition, whose theme this year is ‘Water’. In December 2012 and January 2013, 4 art teachers and a water and hygiene expert taught basic water knowledge and art techniques to 1,906 schoolchildren (1,333 boys and 573 girls) in 7 primary and secondary schools.

The introductory class on water covered areas such as the water cycle, saving and wasting water, water pollution, and health. The children were very enthusiastic, though capturing ideas on paper using color pencils and crayons proved to be a challenging task, particularly as art is currently not included in the school curriculum. At the end of February, SECIL handed over 1,672 paintings to UNEP as the official entries to the competition, which is an international and regional youth event made attractive through cash prizes and diplomas.

The paintings by the Mogadishu schoolchildren show a variety of uses of water for animals, plants, and human beings, different water sources, water-saving methods (e.g. rainwater harvesting), and the consequences of polluting and wasting water (e.g. a dried-out landscape). An exhibition of a selection of these pictures will be held in Mogadishu following the international painting competition.

Britta Peters, UN-Habitat

Top: Ali Aweis Mohamed, 14 years old

Middle left: Cali Yusuf

Middle centre: Mahamed Muusexasan, 16 years old

Middle right: Jawahir Haji Qraal, 14 years old

Bottom left: Abdifatah Husein Sheikhey, 16 years old

Bottom right: Alkarim Mohud Mohed, 16 years old

10 SECIL Newsletter March 2013 Urban environmental planning and livelihoods in Mogadishu

In terms of environmental impact, there are many concerns in Mogadishu that still require rigorous investigation. Policymakers need to make informed, evidence-based decisions when dealing with the environmental aftermath of more than two decades of conflict, from the pathogen levels in the groundwater to the vegetation on the surface. Urban biodiversity is another issue that requires detailed examination so that appropriate measures can be taken to protect it and halt the further degradation of urban ecosystems.

For many visitors to Mogadishu, the airport is the first – and sometimes only – port of call. Its coastal location provides a wonderfully illustrative example of the environmental challenges facing this city, as large swathes of the invasive District © Human Relief Foundation assessment in Heliwa tree Prosopis juliflora have colonized the compound.

The local name Ali Garoob (“divorced Ali”) comes from a Prosopis

The

comparison of the tree spreading its roots everywhere with an imaginary divorced Ali mischievously searching in every nook and cranny for his next wife. Indeed, Ali Garoob is everywhere; large tracts of Prosopis thickets can be found to the west on the peri-urban interface. Its introduction as an erosion control measure on coastal dunes predates the conflict, but back then it was kept in check by the forestry service, in a similar manner to many other conservation-based projects using the tree at that time in the Horn of Africa.

Prosopis has now reached previously unaffected areas, mainly

bushes in Mogadishu because of restricted access to the land due to recent years of fierce fighting in the last strongholds of Al Shabab. Districts such as Heliwa, in the north-east of the city, have experienced rapid

Ali Garoob infestation in a relatively short time. As Omar Ja’fan, the District Commissioner of the outlying district, points out: “We won the war against Al Shabab but were defeated by Ali Garoob.” Massive Massive © Mohamed Sheikh Nor, UN-Habitat

Attitudes are important in resolving this situation. Inappropriate management techniques can exacerbate its spread while draining human and financial resources. But as Ali Garoob is so fast-growing and prolific, it could be used imaginatively for making firewood, building poles, charcoal, flour, gum, syrup, and livestock feed, yet it remains completely underutilized and unexploited. Charcoal production in particular could provide livelihoods for the urban poor and also contribute to the restoration of the natural urban heritage and biodiversity of Mogadishu.

A national policy is urgently needed to ensure that the appropriate methods are used, particularly as some district offices, NGOs, and aid agencies are already engaged in its removal.

In the coming months, SECIL will be working in Heliwa and Wadajir Districts facilitating community-based Prosopis- utilization projects, while supporting the Ministry of Natural Resources to develop a national urban strategy for its integrated management in urban areas of Somalia.

Andrew Adam-Bradford, Human Relief Foundation

SECIL Newsletter March 2013 11 Images of Mogadishu’s historical buildings, past and present © Arch. Mohamed Abdulkadir Ahmed

The Past for the Future – the Protection and Conservation of Somalia Historical Coastal Towns: the Case of Mogadishu

Extract from the paper of the same name presented at the Icomos Icorp International Symposium on “Cultural Heritage Protection in Times of Risk”, 15 to 17 November 2012, Istanbul, Turkey.

The full paper can be downloaded at http://www.markacadey.net

Cultural heritage plays an irreplaceable role in national identity and pride in the common ownership of its diversity, especially during war and rapid social change. Understanding its historical foundations will provide a basis for this analysis in order to establish further analysis into Somalia’s tangible heritages. It will be necessary to start filling up the gap, to re- read the history of Somalia without falling into the temptation of misinterpretation as it happened before.

It will be necessary to take into consideration working toward setting up a Department of Antiquities and Conservation within the Benadir Administration. This could represent the first operational support of protection, introduction of restrictive clauses in the future building code, restoration and conservation. Today, the process of frequent transformation has impacted Somalia’s historical cities. Mogadishu is in a state of utter neglect and destruction. Some of the historical cities along the Somali coast (Warshiikh, Jesira, Marka, Barawa, Kismayo, Zeila, Bossaso) are in the same situation...

…What to do to save the cultural heritages of a nation in the absence of reliable intermediaries in civil society? UNESCO policy on the World Cultural Heritage Sites in Danger should bring the inclusion of Somalia’s past for an effective management of cultural assets in terms of cultural heritage preservation and creation of conditions for increased economic benefits for future sustainable cultural development. There is a need to undertake in partnership with international organizations significant initiatives to protect, rehabilitate, restore and revitalize the cultural heritage that survived neglect and damage during 21 years of civil war. Cultural heritage represents a set of unique assets that Somali people can leverage to promote national reconciliation.

Mohamed Abdulkadir Ahmed, Department of Urban Planning and Heritage Management, Benadir Regional Administration

For more information on the SECIL UN-Habitat Somalia Programme project, please contact: Tel. +254 20 7625030 SECIL Britta Peters [email protected] EMPLOYMENT & LIVELIHOODS [email protected] www.unhabitat.org/somaliregion

This newsletter was prepared and edited by Clare Sadd, Edward Miller, and Britta Peters. The opinions in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of UN-Habitat or the UN-Habitat donors and partners. © UN-Habitat Somalia Programme 2013. Content may not be reprinted without permission.