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Paper short abstract

In this paper I will present examples of how Local and National Humanitarians (LNHs) working in Somalia and Somaliland are successfully combining local knowledge with new technology and information to assist communities to adapt to and mitigate against climate change.

Paper long abstract

My research aims to better understand the needs and challenges of local and national humanitarians (LNHs) in addressing climate-related threats in Somalia and Somaliland and examine how the local knowledge and experiences of LNHWs are valued, shared and documented.

During interviews with LNHs I have documented examples of projects which have successfully combined local knowledge with new technology and information. I will briefly present these in this paper as examples of the importance of both acknowledging and engaging with local and indigenous knowledge, alongside utilising and promoting new technologies and new sources of information.

The examples I plan to present include community involvement in improving Early Warning Systems (EWS), consultations between engineers and community leaders to locate and drill new water supplies, and networks of knowledge sharing between communities to share new building methods, materials and agricultural practices which bolster climate resilience and disaster risk preparedness.

I will conclude by arguing that these examples reflect the need for a continued push towards actual localisation within the humanitarian sector, both in terms of programming and delivery. I will also argue that the international community has a responsibility to continue to collaborate with countries on the front line of the climate crisis. The focus of this should be on the development and dissemination of climate and meteorological data and climate adaptation methods and technologies, to design effective and sustainable humanitarian interventions in the face of climate related threats.