The FAO, with support from the European Union and other donors, has established the Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) system since 2002, in collaboration with Somali government ministries. SWALIM serves as a comprehensive national and regional system, aligned with Somalia's ecological and livelihood regions. Currently, it supports 12 government ministries and agencies in managing land and water monitoring networks for sustainable resource development.

Several challenges hinder efficient land and water resource management in Somalia:
•  Overlapping mandates and unclear demarcation among numerous ministries and agencies.
•  Limited collaboration and information sharing, leading to duplication of efforts.
•  Fragmented support from development agencies, hindering effective engagement.
•  Inadequate motivation and incentives for local communities to participate in resource management.
•  Lack of Environment and Social Management Plans and Environment Protection Plans to mitigate development impacts.

SWALIM, in partnership with eight government ministries in Somaliland and Puntland, proposes a pilot Integrated Land and Water Resources Management (ILWRM) project. This project leverages existing monitoring networks, databases, and collaborations to address the aforementioned challenges and enhance the capacity of ministries to use SWALIM's system effectively.

The project aims to improve the resilience of local communities in Somaliland and Puntland to recurrent natural disasters by ensuring better access to quality land and water resources. It seeks to achieve sustainable land and water resource utilization and conservation through regulatory frameworks and reliable data and information to support integrated land and water resources management.

Key opportunities for the project include existing coordination mechanisms between ministries, the presence of data centers, growing awareness of land and water management due to recurrent droughts, and the need for integrated planning at the watershed/basin level.

The project will benefit eight productive sector ministries in Puntland and Somaliland, as well as local communities engaged in integrated land and water resource management interventions. The project will establish land and water information centers in each region to enhance collaboration and information synthesis among ministries. Local communities will actively participate in developing integrated management frameworks and implementing pilot interventions in selected watersheds.