Mogadishu — On the second day of the 2nd Somalia Disaster Resilience Conference in Mogadishu, a key panel discussion was held under the theme “Enhancing Community Participation through Strengthened Local Leadership in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Resilience.”

The session brought together leading experts including

• Dr. Mustafa Mohamed Ali, Director of Policy and Planning at SoDMA
• Dr. Mustafa Feiruz, Director of the Institute for Somali Studies at Mogadishu University
• Dr. Mohamed Ahmed, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Mogadishu University.

Moderated by

• Dr. Mahdi Musse Hassan, Lecturer at Mogadishu University

the panel highlighted the importance of empowering local leadership and community involvement in all stages of disaster management — from preparedness to recovery.

Speakers emphasized that effective disaster resilience in Somalia depends on strong local systems, inclusive decision-making, and active citizen participation to ensure sustainable risk reduction and rapid response mechanisms.