Somalia, 28 October 2025 — The Government of Somalia has acknowledged ongoing implementation challenges facing the Jowhar Offstream Storage Project (JOSP), a national initiative to enhance water management and food security along the Shabelle River.
Speaking at a high-level coordination meeting in Mogadishu on Tuesday Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir Maareeye said the project remains a national priority but has experienced delays following USAID’s withdrawal from its implementation.
“The Jowhar project is a lifeline for thousands of Somali farmers and pastoralists. Since USAID’s exit, we’ve faced challenges, but today’s meeting was aimed at finding practical solutions to ensure completion,” said Minister Maareeye.
Jointly led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, JOSP seeks to mitigate droughts and floods, boost agricultural productivity, and enhance climate resilience across the Shabelle River basin.
The project aims to expand irrigation access for over 300,000 people, reduce flood risks for 1.5 million, and help 1.65 million Somalis withstand the impacts of drought.
JOSP is implemented in collaboration with international partners — including FAO, IOM, UN-Habitat, UNIDO, and UNEP — and financially supported by the British Embassy in Mogadishu, UN Peacebuilding Fund, and Somalia Joint Fund.
The programme comprises four main components:
- RESTORE (UK-funded)
- TRANSFORM (previously USAID-funded)
- YOUTHAct (Peacebuilding Fund)
- Maareynta – Governance for Adaptation to Climate Change (Somalia Joint Fund)
Core activities include rehabilitating key water infrastructure such as the Sabuun barrage, Hawadley reservoir, outlet and supply canals, and irrigation networks, while simultaneously strengthening institutional capacity for sustainable water governance.
Minister Maareeye reaffirmed the government’s commitment to mobilizing additional resources and maintaining momentum.
“This is not just an infrastructure project — it’s about securing food, livelihoods, and resilience for future generations,” he added.
The meeting — jointly organized by the Ministries of Agriculture, Water, and Energy, in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister — aimed to reinforce coordination among government agencies and development partners to overcome funding and operational constraints hindering the project’s progress.
