A pathway to peace and dignity: Adaptive and community-based WASH interventions in fragile settings of Somalia

For over 30 years, Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) has implemented water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs in Somalia to improve access to safe water and sanitation for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities affected by conflict and climate change. Core interventions included infrastructure development, water trucking, hygiene promotion, and capacity-building for local stakeholders. NCA operated in a highly complex environment where insecurity restricted access, climate shocks such as droughts and floods disrupted water sources, and weak governance and fragmented coordination limited effective service delivery. Despite these challenges, NCA introduced innovative solutions such as mobile water treatment units, digital monitoring systems, and market-based strategies like water vouchers to enhance access, accountability, and resilience. The program emphasized gender inclusion by empowering women to participate in decision-making and addressing menstrual hygiene needs. A key lesson was the importance of community ownership and inclusive planning to promote equitable access and reduce tensions between IDPs and host populations. By integrating conflict-sensitive governance and promoting community dialogue, NCA linked WASH interventions to the peacebuilding process. This approach not only improved the sustainability of WASH services but also contributed to social cohesion in fragile and often divided communities. The findings are based on a mixed-methods study combining archival analysis, stakeholder interviews, and community case studies conducted between 2022 and 2024.   Key words: water, sanitation, and hygiene, internally displaced persons, community engagement, conflict, climate resilience, Somalia.