History and Milestones

The Somalia Urban Resilience Project (SURP) was first launched as part of a wider effort to address the challenges facing Somalia’s rapidly growing urban areas. The project was designed to rehabilitate critical infrastructure and strengthen local government capacity to manage urban growth and resilience.

Following the success of the first phase, SURP II was launched to further expand the project’s reach and deepen its impact. SURP II scaled up its interventions to additional cities and placed a greater emphasis on climate resilience and community involvement.

One of SURP II’s primary components, the infrastructure development phase, kicked off with the rehabilitation of roads and construction of drainage systems to improve urban mobility and reduce flooding in vulnerable areas.

Recognizing the growing threat of climate change, SURP II implemented climate resilience as a core component of its work. This included building infrastructure that could withstand extreme weather events and integrating green practices into urban planning.

To ensure that the benefits of the project were felt equitably across all urban communities, SURP II rolled out comprehensive community engagement programs. These programs aimed to involve local citizens in the planning and implementation process, ensuring their voices were heard and their needs addressed.

One of SURP II’s core pillars is its focus on capacity building, providing local governments with the tools and expertise they need to manage urban development. This ensures that the infrastructure investments made under the project are maintained and operated efficiently.