00:00Beneath the scorching sun in Somaliland, Muhammad Muhammad Islam digs trenches around his orange
00:06and papaya trees, fighting to trap every drop of water. After losing more than half his crop
00:13to relentless drought, every shovel of soil is an act of survival. For five years the rains have
00:19come late and sparse, and every season is a gamble. We have a water borehole with a small
00:27channel that gradually directs rainwater into it during the rainy season. However,
00:33due to climate change, we are now facing an increasing water shortage.
00:36We are no longer receiving the same amount of rainfall as before, and there is little to no rain.
00:45Water problems exist across the region. The World Food Programme estimates that a quarter of Somalia's
00:51population, including Somaliland, 4.4 million people, are now facing severe food insecurity
00:57as drought tightens its grip. Due to the low amount of rainfall this year, our harvest was very limited.
01:05We only planted a small amount of beans towards the end of the rainy season,
01:10but even that withered as the drought intensified.
01:14Israel's decision to recognize Somaliland has sparked new hope here.
01:18The Arab nation is a global leader in water management,
01:21and many believe that its expertise could be transformative.
01:25We hope Israel will be one of the key
01:29game change for us in agriculture. As long as agriculture could contribute
01:37up to 15, up to 25 percent for Somaliland's GDP and also the economy as well.
01:45So we want to collaborate with that area, that agriculture. So we hope that Israel could be
01:59one of the game-changer partners to us.
02:05A first group of 25 Somaliland water workers have already begun training, with Israeli experts set to
02:12arrive soon to help install new technology on the ground.
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