Objective: Reversing Environmental
Degradation and Fostering Resilience
The Green Somalia campaign, launched by President Hassan Sheikh on August 2022, seeks to plant 10 million trees throughout the nation.
These trees are intended to bolster biodiversity, enhance climate resilience, and provide a robust defense against the recurring, devastating droughts that have plagued the country for decades.
The overarching objective is clear: Somalia aims to transform its arid landscapes into thriving, green oases. By mitigating desertification and the resulting climate-related challenges, the country intends to pave the way for a more sustainable and ecologically balanced future.
Vision: A Greener, More Sustainable Somalia
The Green Somalia campaign envisions a nation transformed into an environmental and climate champion. President Hassan’s vision is deeply rooted in recognizing the suffering experienced by Somalia’s people due to environmental degradation. By joining forces with the GGWI, the campaign aims to provide immediate relief to his nation while setting the stage for long-term, sustainable development.
This vision extends beyond the immediate planting of trees. It encompasses a holistic approach to addressing environmental and climate-related challenges. Somalia aspires to enhance its capacity to withstand the effects of climate change and protect its unique ecosystems, ultimately fostering a greener, more sustainable Somalia.
Alignment with GGWI: A Regional and Continental Commitment
Somalia’s commitment to the Great Green Wall Initiative signifies its dedication to addressing environmental challenges at not just a national but also a regional and continental level. The GGWI, established by the African Union in 2007, extends its reach from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa, addressing issues of desertification, climate change, and biodiversity loss. With Somalia on board, the GGWI now encompasses 36 member states from drylands across the Sahara, Sahel, Horn of Africa, and Southern Africa.
This alignment of the Green Somalia campaign with the GGWI is not merely symbolic; it is a concrete commitment to the shared goals of restoring degraded land, mitigating climate shocks, and fostering ecological resilience. Somalia’s participation in the GGWI underlines the nation’s recognition that environmental challenges are not confined to its borders but are regional and global in nature.
Conclusion: A United Front for a Greener Future
Somalia’s pledge of $10 million to the GGWI, in tandem with the ‘Green Somalia’ campaign, signals the country’s resolve to address the pressing issues of desertification, climate change, and biodiversity loss. The commitment, shared with 36 other member states, underlines the nation’s dedication to restoring its landscapes and enhancing its resilience against climate shocks. It is a testament to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s vision of a greener, more sustainable Somalia, aligned with the GGWI’s regional and continental efforts to combat environmental degradation.