DIIS – The Danish Institute for International Studies

The Pastoralist Climate Change Resilience in Somaliland (PACCS) project is a collaborative research initiative with the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) that explores how pastoralist communities in Somaliland adapt to the growing impacts of climate change, including recurrent droughts, flash floods, and increasing weather variability. Recognising pastoralism as a complex socio-ecological system shaped by interconnected economic, environmental, governance, and market dynamics, PACCS adopts an interdisciplinary approach to understand and strengthen climate resilience across the domains of markets, land management, and hybrid governance. As part of this partnership, 3D Research is undertaking field-based research on the local implications of investments linked to the Berbera Economic Zone (BEZ) and DP World, examining how economic transformation is reshaping access to land, employment opportunities, cost-of-living dynamics, and pastoralist livelihoods in surrounding communities. Through qualitative interviews, focus group discussions, stakeholder mapping, and field observations, the study generates evidence on patterns of inclusion and exclusion and their implications for climate resilience and adaptive capacity. The research contributes to PACCS’ broader objective of advancing knowledge on pastoralist resilience, strengthening locally grounded climate change research, and informing inclusive, evidence-based policies that support sustainable livelihoods and equitable development in Somaliland.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a universal framework to guide global efforts towards sustainable peace, prosperity, and environmental protection. The agenda sets out 17 goals and 169 associated targets. All 193 UN member states, including Somalia, have committed to implementing this agenda and are expected to report progress in a transparent manner, in line with the core principle of “leave no one behind”. Somalia has already demonstrated its commitment to the 2030 Agenda by presenting its first Voluntary National Review (VNR) at the High-Level Political Forum, and is preparing a second VNR for 2026.  However, effective reporting on the SDGs requires a much stronger national statistical foundation. Globally, many countries, especially those with less developed statistical systems, struggle to produce timely, reliable, accessible, and sufficiently disaggregated data for SDG indicators, with a large proportion of indicators lacking regular, high-quality national data. Within this context, the Somalia National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) is the central authority mandated to collect, analyse, and disseminate official statistics, as well as coordinate the national statistical system. Yet, as in many low-income and fragile states, the SDG data ecosystem in Somalia faces significant structural and technical constraints that limit both the coverage and the practical usability of SDG indicators. The objective of this consultancy is to design a coherent, feasible, and fundable four-year project proposal that is aimed at strengthening the institutional and technical capacity of SNBS and its partners at both federal and FMS levels to collect and effectively coordinate in the production and dissemination of credible and timely statistics, especially SDG statistics for VNR reporting.

Globally, there is a growing recognition that climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Climate change poses a significant threat to global food and water security, leading to malnutrition,  spread of diseases, violent conflicts, and forced displacement. These interconnected risks can have global effects, yet their impacts disproportionately fall on vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the majority of the world’s poor reside. Populations in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) are often the hardest hit. Globally, ASAL regions are home to approximately one billion people. The pastoral communities in Kenya’s ASAL counties, including Turkana, Garissa, and Mandera, face significant climate-related stressors. Reduced and more erratic rainfall, recurrent droughts, and declining livelihood opportunities pose a threat to the health of both humans and livestock. They also trigger competition over water and grazing lands, which, at times, triggers intercommunity conflicts. These stressors interact with gaps in social protection, limited mobility, unstable livestock markets, and a decrease in the capacity of households to cope with challenges, making women, elderly persons, and young people increasingly vulnerable to risks. This project aims to deepen insights into the impacts of climate change and adaptation practices among pastoral communities in Mandera, Garissa, and Turkana counties in Kenya.