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The Institute holds the ninth meeting of the Cities in Action Webinar series on Land administration to address challenges of displacement and sustainable development the city of Baidoa in Somalia as a model

The Arab Urban Development Institute organized its ninth session of the Cities in Action webinar series on Tuesday evening,22 Jumada’2 1446H, corresponding to 23 December 2024, in the presence of several specialists and professionals interested in urban development affairs. Dr. Abdullah Dhaifallah, moderator of the webinar and Professor of Urban Planning, began the session with an overview of the webinar series and highlighted its importance in enriching the discussion on urban development across all Arab cities. He also stressed that the benefit of these sessions lies in identifying pioneering urban development projects and exchanging ideas on mechanisms and the elements of success. The meeting was opened with a presentation by  Excellency Mr. Abdullahi Ali Watiin Mayor of Baidoa,Somalia. Expert in leadership, development and conflict resolution. He began by talking about the challenges faced by the Somali city of Baidoa, which had suffered from conflicts, periods of drought and internal displacement from 1991 to 2012. Following the establishment of the Government of Western Somalia in 2014, the city’s recovery reviewed the mechanism for dealing with land management and conflict resolution issues and efforts to address and overcome them. The mayor stated that Baidoa currently hosts more than 700,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who migrated from Somalia’s rural and central lands, leaving the city facing significant challenges in services, resources and land ownership disputes. TAs a result, the reforms came through the Municipality of Baidoa’s cooperation with development partners such as the U & Habitat, the World Bank and the International Organization for Migration, with a view to providing sustainable solutions to address that crisis. The mayor presented the main findings of the municipality of Baidoa in addressing the challenges. It established a land management section and registered more than 5,000 properties, 70 per cent of which benefited internally displaced persons. More than 400 land disputes have also been resolved, contributing to the city’s stability. Meanwhile, the municipality allocated 15 square kilometres of land to resettle displaced persons 3,416 displaced families. These sites were provided with basic services such as electricity and water, as well as permanent housing. Furthermore, these sites were planned as part of the plan to expand the city of Baidoa, which included the development of comprehensive infrastructure, including markets, roads, health and education facilities, within the framework of the city’s comprehensive urban planning strategy. He summarized the importance of preventive measures for urban growth problems, stressing the need to share experiences between cities globally, and the importance of partnership between governments, communities and international organizations to meet common challenges. At the end of the meeting, Dr. Abdullah Dafiullah thanked the attendees for their interaction and valuable participation, commending the outstanding role of  Excellency  Mayor of Baidoa, Somalia. in leading this outstanding show on Land administration to address challenges of displacement and sustainable development the city of Baidoa in Somalia as a model. He stressed the importance of continuing these meetings to enhance cooperation and knowledge exchange among specialists in urban development.