FAO's Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) system has been collaborating with Somali government ministries since 2003, initially with support from the Italian cooperation and other donors. Over 15 years, SWALIM has established a robust information system for land and water resources, serving the ecological and livelihood regions of Somalia. SWALIM's services remain crucial for preserving and managing natural resources, especially in addressing climate shocks. In 2017, SWALIM played a pivotal role in preventing famine during a drought crisis.

SWALIM VI, the latest phase, seeks to continue and enhance the core services developed in earlier phases while transitioning to a fully Somalia-based operation. It will work closely with the Somali Government, international organizations, NGOs, universities, and civil society to achieve its objectives. Currently, SWALIM supports 12 government ministries and agencies in managing land and water monitoring networks, but faces challenges such as overlapping mandates, lack of detailed soil maps, limited collaboration and coordination, insufficient support from data centers, and community engagement issues.

The impact of SWALIM VI aims to enhance the resilience of local communities in Somalia to natural disasters by improving access to quality land and water resources. The desired outcome is sustainable land and water resource management through regulatory frameworks, reliable data, and information, including upgrading the Ministry of Agriculture's data center and implementing integrated land and water management interventions.

In Somalia, FAO leads in coordinating and monitoring humanitarian interventions related to agriculture and livestock, collecting vital data on food security, nutrition, and natural resources. SWALIM's accomplishments to date include establishing weather and river monitoring networks, groundwater aquifer monitoring, profiling and mapping of water sources, comprehensive land resource assessments, and developing various information systems. Three regional field offices have been set up, and capacity development programs have been initiated for government ministries and institutions, including training programs and support for ministry monitoring networks.