Lessons Learned from Community Consultation and Fail to Act Scenario (Flood Anticipatory Action Failed) in Somali Region, Shebelle Zone

Following the community consultation, two days workshop on Fail to Act Scenario (Flood Anticipatory Action Failed) held from 30-31 January 2024 with Somali regional Anticipatory Action technical working group (RTWG) at Jigjiga city. The main objective of the workshop was to discuss the fail-to-act scenario, and its implications, and develop an action-oriented plan. The workshop was organized by WFP in collaboration with the Regional AA TWG. SCI, UNOCHA, FAO, WHO, and key government sectors from national (EMI), regional EMI, and zonal representatives participated in the workshop. In the workshop SCI presented the findings from the Community of Practice (CoP) which was held at Gode town at the end of December 2023.

• The key findings of the community consultation:
• The local communities have awareness about the early warning, and they have been involved in the early warning dissemination at community level.
• Disaster Risk Management Office and Ethiopian Metrological Institutes are taking the leading roles in disseminations of early warning alerts.
• Early warning committees are established at different levels and regularly provide the early warning alerts based on the NMI and EDRMC guidance.
• Official letters, mainstream media, phone, local media and communications, committees, local community representatives and tribal leaders were mentioned as early warning channels of communication.
• The local communities have their own indigenous knowledge to forecast hazards like; floodings, drought and conflicts and mainly use the scientific knowledge in integrating with local indigenous knowledge.
• Some individuals’ resistance to receive the forecast and early warning alerts and actions were observed at some areas and they perceived as Allas/God’s work and not trust the forecast.
• The early warning and action ready groups capacity to widely messages disseminations was noted and identified as gap during the community meetings.
• The activation of Early Warning and Action before flooding happens and the capacity of humanitarian organization working on Anticipatory Action was also indicted as the gaps.