During the Somali civil war, water and the environment became a casualty of indiscriminate destruction due to the Somali civil conflict. For this reason, the Somali Center for Water and Environment was established in 2005 in Mogadishu to carry out surveys, research programs, and policy advocacy to explore and delineate the current state of the Somali water and environment, identify problems and propose solutions.

After 17 years of operation in Somalia, the SCWE has transformed into the Institute of Peace, water and environment. The institute employs environmental approaches like water harvesting, ecosystems restoration, and reforestation to establish peace in the country.