# Somalia's 2015 Fanoole dam rehabilitation idea: what was reported

> On 2015-11-21 Goobjoog News reported a suggested US$28M plan to rehabilitate the Fanoole hydropower dam in Somalia's climate submission. No later evidence.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 1 October 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Infrastructure and Services
- Tags: utilities, water-supply
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/fanoole-dam-rehabilitation-2015-report

## Key points

- On 2015-11-21 Goobjoog News reported that a US$28M project to rehabilitate the Fanoole hydropower dam had been suggested in Somalia's climate plans.
- Historical construction dates, the original about US$50M cost and a projected 4.6MW output were attributed by Goobjoog News to Water Power Magazine.
- The record shows no decision, approval, funding, tender, contract, construction start or completion for the Fanoole rehabilitation after that report.

On 21 November 2015, Goobjoog News reported that Somalia would consider rehabilitating the Fanoole hydropower dam, framing the idea inside the country's climate submission to the United Nations. According to that report, the Somali Government submitted its Intended National Determined Contributions (INDC) to the UN that November, ahead of COP21 in Paris, which opened on 30 November. INDCs outline the climate actions individual countries intend to undertake under the agreement to be decided at that conference, the report said.

The Fanoole item in those plans, as reported, was a US$28M project to rehabilitate the dam. Goobjoog News described the figure as "suggested" in Somalia's climate plans, not as funded, approved or started.

## What the report said about the dam

Goobjoog News, citing Water Power Magazine, reported that the Fanoole hydroelectric dam was constructed with Chinese assistance between 1977 and 1982 at a cost of about US$50M. Those historical dates and the original cost figure are secondary-reported; they are not verified primary facts in this record.

Still citing Water Power Magazine, the report said the dam and its canal system provided irrigation for government-owned rice and sesame farms, and supplied electricity to Jilib and Marerey. A plan to extend that electricity to Jamame and other downstream towns was interrupted by the civil war, according to the same report. Goobjoog News also reported that the path of the river flow has changed since the 1998 El Nino rains. No engineering or feasibility assessment of the dam or of the changed river path is cited in the material.

On the proposed rehabilitation, the report said the rehabilitated scheme would produce 4.6MW of hydropower, a projected output of a scheme that was being suggested rather than built, and one attributed to Water Power Magazine via Goobjoog News.

## What remains open

The report described rehabilitation of Fanoole as a priority for the reconstruction and development of the Middle and Lower Jubba regions. That prioritisation is an unattributed claim in the Goobjoog report; no authority is named as holding it. The same report said all electricity in the region then came from diesel-fuelled generators, with no capacity or availability figures given for the dam's historical output.

> **Note:** The US$28M figure and the 4.6MW output are reported claims attached to a proposed scheme. Neither is evidence of funding, procurement or construction.

The material does not establish what has happened since. There is no record here of any decision, approval, funding, tender, contract, construction start or completion for the Fanoole rehabilitation after 2015-11-21. It does not identify who would fund, build or operate any rehabilitation, nor does it give the current status of the dam, its canal system or the region's diesel generation. A primary UN record confirming Somalia's INDC submission is not in the documents, and the Water Power Magazine item that originated the historical and technical claims is not in them either.

## Questions

### What is the current condition of the Fanoole dam?

The record does not establish the dam's current condition. It reports that the river flow path has changed since the 1998 El Nino rains, with no engineering assessment cited, and gives no post-2015 status for the dam or its canal system.

### Who proposed the Fanoole rehabilitation and what is the estimated cost?

On 2015-11-21 Goobjoog News reported that a US$28M project to rehabilitate the dam had been suggested in Somalia's climate plans, submitted as the country's INDC to the UN. The US$28M is a suggested figure, not a funded, approved or contracted one, and the report does not name who would fund, build or operate it.

### What is the timeline for feasibility studies or construction?

No timeline is established. The record contains no decision, approval, funding, tender, contract, construction start or completion for the Fanoole rehabilitation after 2015-11-21.

## Sources

- [Somali to consider rehabilitating Fanoole hydro dam](https://en.goobjoog.com/somali-to-consider-rehabilitating-fanoole-hydro-dam/) — Goobjoog News, 2015-11-21