Somalia's Lower Shabelle Governor praises FAO for restoring irrigation canals

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Somalia's Lower Shabelle Governor praises FAO for restoring irrigation canals

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) The Governor of Lower Shabelle region, Ibrahim Adan Ali Najah has praised the restoration of more than 23km primary and secondary canals for irrigation in the Lower Shabelle region previously destroyed by the militant group

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Lower Shabelle Governor, Ibrahim Adan Ali Najah and his team observe a recently rehabilitated water canals in Buufo, Lower Shabelle (PHOTO/LSR COMMS).

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) The Governor of Lower Shabelle region, Ibrahim Adan Ali Najah has praised the restoration of more than 23km primary and secondary canals for irrigation in the Lower Shabelle region previously destroyed by the militant group al-Shabaab.

Lower Shabelle is a region known to be Somalia's bread basket and the most agricultural productive one, but today officials say it is highly vulnerable to recurrent droughts, flooding & insecurity. A vicious cycle of droughts and flooding has trapped Somalia in a difficult situation over the last few years. Prolonged dry spells have all too often been followed by disastrous floods — mainly in Lower Shabelle, Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan provinces — jeopardizing or even destroying the livelihoods of many already vulnerable rural Somalis.

The al-Qaeda-linked group Al-Shabaab poses the most real security threat to the local population.

"The rehabilitation and restoration of the primary and secondary canals is an important lifesaving move for the local population in Lower Shabelle. We praise FAO for supporting this project. Functioning irrigation infrastructure will help crop production and improve agricultural productivity," Governor Najah told Horn Observer.

From Buufo location to Janale town, local community were forced to stop farming due to lack of functioning irrigation infrastructure, according to elder Hassan Mahad, a farmer and a community elder in Janale.

"We as the local farmers became helpless because we could not get enough water for our farms. Some of the farmers resorted to leave the region and went to Mogadishu to seek other living. But now we are glad that we can resume farming because we have canals running water," elder Mahad says.

"This can reduce the causes of food insecurity and malnutrition in the country,” he adds.

Mr. Najah, the Governor pledged support to all stakeholders including the local population and the international partners to help improve security, people’s livelihoods and well-being as well as supporting vibrant and resilient agricultural productivity.

"We encourage increased support for riverine farmers to restore crop production & improve agricultural productivity in Lower Shabelle," the Governor adds.

In the meantime, the regional authorities gave begun bush clearing activities in the region to enhance access of the local population and improve the security between the towns of Marka, the regional capital and its other districts.