Context
Following the two-decade-long civil war which destroyed almost all political, social and economic structures in Somalia, the state has lost its ability to project the three dimensions of statehood. Consequently, Somalia has been considered a failed state since 1991.
Due to the conflict and absence of regulatory frameworks, the transport infrastructure which is vital for the country’s economic & social development is in poor condition. Inadequacies in the infrastructure sector in Somalia became a major constraint to the population’s access to social services and an obstacle for the economic recovery of the region.
The backbone of Somalia’s economy, trade—especially livestock export which amounts to around 5 million animals annually—forms the major source of income for most Somalis. Capable road networks are crucial in this regard as roads connect people and promote economic growth.
Despite rampant insecurity and low capacity, restoring the operability of partner agencies in this sector through multi-disciplinary capacity building initiatives is a sustainable way to ensure no further deterioration of the existing infrastructure. Investment in rehabilitation and maintenance is a key factor for development in the region.
Objective
The legal, institutional and personnel capacities of public actors in the transportation sectors in Somaliland, Puntland and South-Central Somalia are improved and the drought resilience of communities has increased.
Approach
The Sustainable Road Maintenance Project (SRMP) supports road authorities in Somalia to rehabilitate and maintain the existing road network preventing the collapse of key infrastructure in the medium term. A range of infrastructure and non-infrastructure interventions are used to strengthen the technical, institutional and legislative capacity of institutions in the transport sector of the country.
SRMP supports governmental entities on the federal level, in Puntland and Somaliland to develop legislative frameworks for the road infrastructure sector and road maintenance management systems designed to prevent the deterioration of key roads. Moreover, the project focuses on the organisational development of partner agencies to improve their capacity and apply the improved capacity of partner agencies in national and regional lighthouse projects. Extensive training programmes as well as the provision of equipment and material form part of the project’s scope.
The sustainability approach includes involvement of the private sector and communities wherever possible. The project uses its engineering capacities to support the construction of water supply and storage infrastructure for up to 75,000 beneficiaries in the region of Puntland. To support rural communities, all road works involve elements of cash for work activities for unskilled workers.
