2016

Climate change poses a great risk to the livelihoods of the Somali people. This is because the Somali natural environment and associated production systems are highly vulnerable to climate change. This policy brief address this problem by: (1) Assessing the key bio-physical constrains faced by the Somali natural environment, (2) Examining development challenges that reduce the adaptive capacity of the natural environment and production systems, (3) Based on 1 and 2, identifying actions that can be taken by government, local communities and development agencies to reduce climate change vulnerability.

Experience in the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals has brought out the limitations of the top down approach. There is an urgent need for localizing its successor programme, the Sustainable Development Goals. such an approach in Somalia would call for both structural and institutional changes in order to facilitate citizen participation in defining and implementing the SDGs. This policy brief sets out a preliminary agenda for the same.

The process of constitutionalizing democratic elections in Puntland began in 2008 under President Adde Muse’s through a draft constitution which was later adopted following a constituent assembly vote during President Farole’s administration. The draft constitution received an overwhelming acceptance in 2012 with 472 votes from 480 delegates. This resulted in the introduction of a multi-party system for the first time in Puntland’s history. The government enacted the new electoral law that culminated in the establishment of Transitional Puntland Electoral Commission. The first democratic local council elections were then slated for July 2013 but just a day before the polls, there was violence in Qardho and Galkayo towns leaving at least three people dead and resulting in the indefinite postponement of the elections, which were to be the first democratic election in Puntland since 1969. It is against this backdrop that this paper seeks to explore the perception and expectations of the citizens in Puntland towards this democratization process. Further, it seeks to identify the fundamental issues that need to be addressed prior to the commencement of this process and to provide a basis for public dialogue, which will ensure an evidence-based policy making process.