Strategic Area:                               Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Alignment with strategic plan:             Poverty reduction and achievement of MDGs

Project Name:                                Early Recovery and Community Empowerment

Duration:                                        2007 -2009


Project Summary:
The Early Recovery and Community Empowerment (ERCE) is a three-pronged approach that focuses on:
•    Planning for preserving livelihoods by increasing broad-based participation and protecting assets.
•    Addressing underlying causes of vulnerability, through mechanisms for peace building and reconciliation;          and addressing root causes to natural and man-made disasters.
•    Assisting in the creation of a conducive environment for stabilization and sustainable integration, by                  ensuring early access to social services, economic networks and strengthening the rule of law.

It comprises the following three components:
•    Quick impact job creation project (‘Stop Gap’, or labour intensive short-term public works).
•    Area-based early recovery (through community empowerment and rehabilitation of productive infrastructure).
•    Disaster risk management (risk awareness, disaster prevention and mitigation).

So far, the Area-based early recovery is the only ongoing component of the Early Recovery and Community Empowerment project. This component aims to support vulnerable communities through rehabilitating productive assets in the areas of Hiran and Middle Shabelle. Through the Shabelle Basin Flood Protection and Water Catchment Protection project, UNDP is providing support to several activities designed to facilitate emergency flood mitigation measures being undertaken by communities, as well as the expansion of productive opportunities. The project activities relate to flood mitigation activities designed to improve the productive infrastructure of vulnerable communities, increase the opportunities and asset base, improve the abilities of communities in conflict resolutions, and rehabilitate rural access roads and local market infrastructure as well as effectively manage their natural resources. There is an inbuilt component of training and capacity building support for target communities in the operation and management of all activities implemented.

Expected outputs:
•    Strengthened river embankments that would reduce the damaging effects of recurring seasonal floods in           Hiran and Middle Shabelle.
•    Improved community access to market infrastructure and other productive opportunities, ensured by                 supporting community efforts in repairing access roads, market stalls, water conservation reservoir, irrigation      canals, drainage systems and environmental conservation.
•    Strengthened community capacities in the operation and maintenance of rehabilitated services; conflict               resolution; reintegration of local internally displaced persons (IDPs) and local militias; and environmental           management.
•    Community preparedness in emergency flood responses; strengthened community flood early warning               systems; and improved local revenue generation.
•    Support creation of employment opportunities through labour intensive works and stimulate opportunities           that create gainful employment.

Implementation Description and Achievements:
As part of this project, support has been provided to the production or rehabilitation of various productive assets, in Hiran and Middle Shabelle, through strengthening of the local Community Management Committees (CMCs), with the support of local authorities in the targeted areas. So far, rehabilitation of infrastructure included extensive works in Hiran (Beletweyne), Middle Shabelle (Duduble, Sabuun, Jowhar, Balad): repairs of weak river embankments, construction of seven culverts and drains, rehabilitation of seven gate barrage on Shabelle river and Sabuun flood canal barrage, rehabilitation of flood relief canals in Beletweyne, construction of 20 km road embankment on the Mogadishu-Beletweyne road, construction of 3 community irrigation canals/gates, traffic bridge across the China canal in Duduble and community early warning systems were established in all regions including Hiran, Duduble, Sabuun, and Balad, coupled with two trainings each for communities in emergency flood preparedness, early warning systems, operation and maintenance of emergency projects.