Restoring land, mangroves and livelihoods with communities in Galkacyo, Puntland. Your gift helps farmers and families build resilience to drought.
Horn Nature Conservation is a community-based environmental NGO founded in 2018 in Galkacyo, Puntland, Somalia. We work with pastoralists, smallholder farmers, women and youth to restore degraded land, protect biodiversity and build livelihoods that can withstand drought.
The work follows the seasons people in Puntland already know. On the coast, the Garacad mangrove restoration and coastal resilience programme protects shorelines, fisheries and the households that depend on them. Inland, agroforestry and sustainable land management help farmers keep trees, soil and water on fields that have been drying out. In Qorilay village, Galkacyo, solar irrigation gives farming households a way to water crops without relying on diesel pumps.
Six programmes organise this fieldwork. Biodiversity conservation protects terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems. Climate resilience supports locally led adaptation to drought and flood. Sustainable livelihoods raise household incomes through nature-positive farming and green enterprise. Land management strengthens how communities govern water, rangeland and soil. Community development trains women, youth and pastoralist groups to lead local decisions. Research and partnership connects field evidence with policy, including the UNCCD process.
The same places appear across our projects, community stories and news from Galkacyo. Photographs from tree planting, mangrove restoration and training are in the gallery. The figures further down this page are running totals since 2018, not a single calendar year. The impact page explains what each number counts.
Field teams in Galkacyo and the wider Mudug region train farmers in agroforestry, plant trees on degraded plots, and maintain the young mangroves at Garacad after the first planting season. That follow-up is part of the work, because a seedling that is not watered or protected does not become a restored shoreline or a farm that can feed a household.
Individuals and organisations can volunteer with a field team, back a live fundraising project, or donate to restoration, training and solar irrigation. Horn Nature Conservation is based in Galkacyo and works with communities across Puntland. For partnership or media enquiries, use the contact page.
These active programmes are making a difference — and need your help to scale.
Sustainable, climate-resilient solar irrigation for 11 vulnerable smallholder farming households in Qorilay Village, Galkacyo District, Puntland State.
Total Money Required: USD 90,312
View project
The Garacad Mangrove Restoration & Coastal Resilience Programme is an innovative pilot initiative that will introduce and test community-led mangrove restoration and coastal resilience approaches along 30 kilometers of coastline in Garacad and Dhinawado, Jariiban District, Puntland, Somalia.
Total Money Required: USD 145,000
View projectSix core programmes guiding conservation, climate action, and community development across Puntland and Somalia.
Protecting and restoring Somalia’s terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems through community-led approaches that connect biodiversity conservation with climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and human well-being.
Learn more about Biodiversity Conservation
Supporting communities through locally led and nature-based solutions that strengthen climate adaptation, protect ecosystems, and improve livelihoods across Somalia.
Learn more about Climate Resilience
Promoting sustainable and nature-positive livelihoods that improve household incomes while protecting biodiversity, restoring ecosystems, and strengthening climate resilience.
Learn more about Sustainable Livelihoods
Promoting sustainable and inclusive management of water, land, and natural resources through community-driven approaches that strengthen local institutions and improve environmental governance.
Learn more about Land ManagementCumulative results since 2018, from community-led conservation across Puntland.
686.5
Hectares Restored
461
Farmers Reached
500
Women Supported
85
Solar Panels Installed
3,500+
Pastoralists Reached
120,500
Trees & Seedlings Planted
75
Communities Reached
Your support funds restoration, training, and community empowerment across Puntland.
Collaborating with communities, government, and international organizations to scale our impact.
Stories from farmers, elders, youth, and partners who work alongside HNC.
“Before HNC introduced agroforestry to our community, our soils were exhausted, strong winds damaged our crops, and water was always scarce. Today, our farms are greener, more productive, and far more resilient to drought. HNC trained us in agroforestry and provided us with Moringa and Leucaena seedlings that restored our soil fertility, reduced wind damage, conserved moisture, and increased our harvests. The most beautiful change has been seeing birds return to our farms as the trees grew. HNC did not just give us seedlings—they gave us knowledge, hope, and a future that will benefit generations to come.”
“Before HNC helped us organize, we were just individual farmers struggling on our own, with no cooperative to represent us or connect us to opportunities. Today, Danwadaag is the largest farmers' cooperative in the Mudug Region. HNC guided us through every step—bringing us together, helping us develop our bylaws, registering our cooperative, opening our financial account, and covering the costs that made it all possible. They also stood beside us to secure our first project, installing solar-powered irrigation systems for 11 shallow wells and freeing us from costly diesel pumps. HNC did not just help us build a cooperative—they gave us unity, confidence, and a stronger future for our farming community.”
