Matabaan town, Beer-Gadiid, Takaarale and Qod Qod villages, February 2023
ACCESS contributed to a deep field assessment that documented how drought, water scarcity, land degradation, weak services and natural-resource competition affect livelihoods and social cohesion across four locations.
Nuros9solutions was the primary consultancy doing the assessment while the ACCESS focused on youth group issues. The participatory study used focus group discussions, key-informant interviews, observation and site visits to capture community priorities. A total of 258 respondents were reached across leadership, pastoral and agro-pastoral groups, traders, professionals, women and youth. The work also mapped communal resources and reviewed practical implementation risks.
Findings highlighted the need for reliable water, environmental restoration, stronger road and market access, improved local governance and livelihood opportunities that can act as connectors between communities. Recommendations emphasized gender-responsive and environmentally grounded interventions capable of reducing pressure on scarce resources while supporting peace and recovery.
The assessment provided locally grounded evidence for programming that treats environmental recovery, economic opportunity and social cohesion as interconnected priorities.