Management of Natural Resources

o        Charcoal

There is serious deforestation in some areas due to tree cutting for charcoal production for export. On occasion members of the community have been physically assaulted when they have tried to protect trees from being felled for charcoal production.

SOLUTIONS:

·         ban licenses for charcoal export

·         range preservation

·         awareness raising

·         develop alternative energy sources and rationalise local charcoal use

·         create alternative employment

·         reforestation

·         fine those who cut down trees.

o        Strategic Water Points

The PSAWEN participant noted that the area has a variety of water sources, but a chronically poor water situation. Some communities have sabotaged their boreholes. This has led to current shortages and the lack of a water system. There needs to be community ownership of boreholes before a water policy can be implemented.

The UNICEF representative explained that it is not technically difficult to dig a borehole, the problem is funding - $100,000 to dig and $15,000 to maintain. He suggested:

1.      Cost Recovery System

This is vital for credibility with the donors. Communities must set aside money for maintaining and replacing their borehole. The borehole in Iskushuban, for example, was rehabilitated in 1996 and through the cost recovery system should now have at least $4000 set aside. The community was asked whether this money had been set aside for maintenance and replacement.

2.      Alternative Water Sources

Villages such as Washington cannot afford to run a borehole and need to consider alternative solutions, such as sub-surface dams or solar / wind systems.

These installations must be protected. All solar panels installed in Puntland since 1991 have been looted.

SOLUTION:

·         community ownership, community protection of assets and community management.

o        Frankincense

Incisions are made in frankincense trees to access frankincense. In contrast to the past when 10 incisions per tree were made, the current rate is 50 incisions per tree. This over harvesting and poor maintenance of frankincense trees will damage them in the long term.

SOLUTION:

·         participants concluded that only the owners of the trees can monitor their management by those employed to harvest frankincense.

o        Fishing

There is currently over fishing of lobster and shark as they are easy to sell for high value. The Governor described this as a ‘get rich quick’ strategy. Freelance divers selling their catch or exporting it through fishing companies aggravate the problem. This problem is associated with the lack of employment opportunities. The traditional resource management custom of a closed season during lobster breeding has broken down. The meeting was informed that a recent IUCN/OTP study concluded that 80% of lobster eggs were being destroyed due to the fishing of breeding lobsters.

The participants pointed out that even if they stop over fishing lobster, foreign fishing companies would continue.

SOLUTIONS:

·         protect the breeding season through regulation by the Puntland authorities.

·         lobster traders to organise themselves in coordination with community elders to monitor and regulate the fishing trade at community level.

·         contact PERSGA to get advice on fish-friendly nets and traps.

·         develop markets for normal and dermal fish, to enable a closed lobster-breeding season.

·         freezing facilities to store these fish.

·         find investors for small industry and feeder roads to provide alternative employment and therefore reduce over fishing.

3.  Recommendations for addressing the problems of Iskushuban District

Strategic water points:

·         The villagers will provide a list of water committee members with their TOR, to the Mayor of Iskushuban, by July 15^th 2001.

·         PSAWEN will play their part in terms of policy, strategy and working with these committees. In addition PSAWEN has the necessary technical information, surveys etc. The key issue is for community management and ownership.

 Charcoal – protecting trees from being cut-down:

·         The villagers will provide a list of anti-charcoal production committee members with their TOR, to the Mayor of Iskushuban, by June 30^th 2001.

·         The Governor requested the community to tell him their recommendations for policy regulation and enforcement. In order that he can forward these to the Puntland administration for action. He noted that without community support the administration is not able to address effectively the urgent problems of natural resource mismanagement.

 Linkages between Diaspora and community need strengthening.

 Summing up of the meeting

The UN Focal Point expressed her interest in observing the progress of these committees and whether they meet the problems raised at the meeting. She noted that Puntland’s rich marine resources need preserving and urged the community to take up the Governor of Bari’s offer of supporting community recommendations for Puntland administration policy in this area. The UN Focal Point thanked the Governor for his active support of the meeting and the Mayor of Iskushuban for his work in liaison with UNCU in setting up the meeting.

 Closing Remarks

The Governor of Bari closed the meeting by reinforcing the speech of the UN Focal Point, and the points made earlier in relation to donor fatigue. He stressed that the communities themselves have to come up with initiatives and repeated the facilitator’s remarks on the 3 basic conditions for project proposals. If they are not met, nobody will come to our aid. The Governor stated that the he looked forward to receiving a written report of the meeting’s recommendations and that he was committed to playing his part to support these community recommendations. The Governor thanked UN Coordination Unit for their liaison role with the Puntland and district administrations. He thanked FSAU for their baseline research input and the facilitator for his efforts. To close, the Governor asked the agencies to be prepared to support the recommendations of the meeting. 

Annex 1

FSAU Feedback on Baseline Research in Bari Region

The FSAU team presented initial findings from their baseline survey of Bari region, for discussion. They looked at Dharood and Gagab in depth:

 ·         Dharood (Labada Uur, Aboob, Noobir)

A. Wealth Breakdown

B. Income Sources

1.       Livestock sales.

2.       Self-employment – fishing, frankincense, farming, fodder production.

3.       Employment – building activities, beerkad construction.

4.       Others – gifts.

·         Gagab

A. Wealth Breakdown

B. Income Sources

1.       Frankincense.

2.       Employment – harvesting, clearing and collecting frankincense.

3.       Livestock sales.

4.       Building activities / Beerkads.

C. Vulnerability to Shocks

1.       Drought.

2.       Livestock Ban.

3.       Inflation.

4.       Frankincense production and marketing.

5.       Fishing.

Priority Issues for Food Security in Gagab, Golis, Dharood / Noobir

1.       Lack of strategic water points

2.       Management of natural resources.

Frankincense – over exploited.

Fishing – over fishing of lobster and shark.

Charcoal – deforestation.

3.       Erosion – gully formation.

4.       Lack of feeder roads – but resources must be managed otherwise increased access will lead to further depletion.

5.       Poor linkages between fishing companies and local communities – lost community profits.

6.       Under exploitation of dermal / normal fish.

FSAU concluded that although each area has different characteristics Iskushuban District has a comparatively low vulnerability to food insecurity due to diversified economy and strength of the frankincense business.