- hot-spots
- deforestation
- Somalia
- Deforestation in Somalia
Problems
Deforestation is a problem everywhere, but within a country that is suffering as much as Somalia, there is no greater need for an economically viable option. Cutting down nearly 2.5 million trees each year is just making the country even worse for ware than it was before. The reason for the rapid deforestation in Somalia is simply not just black and white. Many different reasons drive the rapid deforestation including the fact that charcoal is essentially the only affordable form of energy for the majority of the population of Somalia; it is also a very bankable business for the country, also because of the fighting in recent years in Somalia's capital of Mogadishu there have been countless numbers of innocent people escaping into the forest to get away from the fighting. The fleeing people who need places to live will cut down trees and use them as makeshift housing.
Charcoal Trade
During the last several years, a new type of business was introduced in Somalia. Cutting of trees to produce charcoal for export to the Gulf States has become a big business with considerable profits. To optimize the operation, local businessmen introduced a new technology - battery-powered chain saws for the cutting of forests. Trees are cut down, burn, and brought by trucks for export from major ports in the country, particularly Mogadishu, Kismayo, and Bosaso (BBC, 2000; and local newspapers). Becoming Somalia's black gold, traders earn about $US million per ship (IRIN, 2000). Most of the charcoal is made in southern Somalia, while northern and eastern regions also experience the same problem but to a lesser extent. More than 80% of the trees used for charcoal are types of Acacia, the most dominant species (IRIN, 2000). Due to the absence of government, there is no documentation of the volumes being exported or the number of trees being cut down by traders.
Climate change
One of the most important indicators of a changing climate in Somalia is the loss of trees. Between 2001 and 2021, Somalia lost 429,000 hectares of tree cover, the equivalent to a 4.9% decrease in tree cover in almost the same period, and to creating 840,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
Recurrent drought and inappropriate land use
Droughts are growing increasingly frequent, not just because of climate change but also because of poor land use and market-driven obstacles to environmental stewardship and resource governance. As a result, the 1.03% annual rate of deforestation is again three times that of neighboring Kenya at 0.3%, and almost twice the 0.62% average rate of loss for Africa (World Bank’s Somalia Country Environmental Analysis: Diagnostic Study on Trends and Threats for Environmental and Natural Resources Challenges). Since there is a close relationship between the performance of the Somali economy and the health of its natural capital, this does not bode well for Somalia’s future. The country’s forests are disappearing. These, although mostly classified as low-density, contain 394 million metric tons of carbon in living biomass. Somalia lost about 686,000 hectares of forest between 2000 and 2017, an annual loss that equals at least 6% of all the trees lost in Africa, often from using land for livelihoods made in.
Solutions
Reforesting Somalia from the air
Author: United Nations
Before the rainy season, a UNSOS drone dropped 60,000 tree seedballs over 14 square kilometres. In as soon as two years, a forest could emerge, capturing 237,600 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year. When talking about drones, it’s not often that trees come to mind but that may soon change, at least for some residents of Somalia’s South West State. Thought to be the first operation of its kind in peacekeeping, a United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) drone named “Blue Bird” flew its first greening mission in February. Just before the rainy season, the drone flew over a 14 square kilometre area, near the city of Baidoa, dropping 60,000 tree seedballs. The drone was piloted by Captain Malcom “Scotty” Scott, project leader and UK Logistics Military Advisor within UNSOS Office of the Chief Service Delivery. A seedball is charcoal mixed with a nutritious binder and once dropped can stay dormant for up to 20 years until rains start the germination process. Approximately 12 per cent of these seedballs make it to maturity. Over a 12-day period, Blue Bird travelled a total of 475 kilometres. The estimated carbon offset by this initial batch of seeds is 237,600 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year, based on the Acacia tree average over its lifetime. From this initial drop, a forest of approximately 6,000 trees could become visible in as soon as two years. It also promotes secondary growth. Before the flying began, a seed suitability survey and a test grow were carried out. The success of this project represents the teamwork of many and was done in close coordination with the Government of Somalia and communities. This effort also has a humanitarian impact as deforestation intensifies flooding and soil erosion, which, in turn, contributes to the accelerated degradation of land and loss of livelihoods for many Somalis. Somalia’s forest coverage has dropped by 83 per cent since the 1980s. Blue Bird’s journeys are the result of a meeting in 2019 between the Somali President and the Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support, where commitments were made on both sides to take on reforestation in Somalia. The UN is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by a 45 per cent by 2030. Under the name Operation Green Field, this technology is supplementing efforts to start tree nurseries within UN compounds around the country. The next areas identified by Blue Bird’s flights will be agreed upon in consultation with the Somali government in the coming weeks.
Source: https://www.un.org/en/delegate/reforesting-somalia-air
Gallery
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Timelines
2024
June
There were 4 deforestation alerts reported in Somalia between the 9th of June 2024 and the 16th of June 2024, covering a total of < 1 ha. There were 43 VIIRS fire alerts reported in Somalia between the 11th of June 2024 and the 18th of June 2024. Between the 21st of June 2021 and the 17th of June 2024, Somalia experienced a total of 857 VIIRS Alerts fire alerts.
May 12
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud officially inaugurated the new LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Storage Center in Mogadishu, marking a pivotal moment in the fight against deforestation and environmental degradation in Somalia. Environmental Journalists for Somalia (EJS) told HOL that the demand for charcoal in Somalia is driving desertification and drought, as charcoal remains the primary fuel source for the majority of the country. The unprecedented rate of deforestation over the past three decades has led to climate-related shocks in various parts of the country, according to EJS.
March
In Somalia, the peak fire season typically begins in early January and lasts around 10 weeks. There were 24 VIIRS fire alerts reported between the 1st of January 2024 and the 4th of March 2024 considering high confidence alerts only. This is normal compared to previous years going back to 2012.
2023
March
As deforestation and fierce winds compound the climate crisis-driven drought, dunes are burying the medieval port of Hobyo. Mohamed Mohamud, from the Somali conservation organization Greenwatch Trust, says: “Wind is one of the factors that is affected by climate change. If you ask the coastal communities, they are saying that the wind is stronger than ever, in comparison to the last 30 years. They said strong winds existed before but they are faster.” Deforestation (the wood is used to build homes and for charcoal for cooking) is a contributing factor, leading to soil erosion and removing the buffer that once protected the town from storms. The minister of environment and climate change in Somalia, Khadija Mohamed al-Makhzoumi, says her ministry recognizes the concerns raised by environmentalists. “To tackle this issue, the government plans to implement measures to prevent further erosion and degradation of the coastline.” Makhzoumi says 30,000 trees will be planted by December 2024. “The government started an initiative called Green Somalia. The government-approved environmental law, which passed in the upper house in March this year, includes a ban on the export of charcoal,” she says.
2020
A 2020 Somali government report notes Somalia lost 147,704 km2 to land degradation between 2000 and 2015, a figure representing 27% of its total land area and attributed to a combination of factors, including soil erosion, biological degradation, and gully erosion. Given that, without degradation, the estimated value of Somalia’s land resources would be US$222.3 billion (World Bank, 2020), promoting sustainable management and restoring the productivity of land is crucial to benefit future generations. Trees are an essential part of Somalia’s natural capital.
2016
In 2016 by the launch of the Programme for Sustainable Charcoal Reduction and Alternative Livelihoods (PROSCAL), a collaboration between the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Food and Agriculture Organization. The programme has helped Somali officials enforce the ban on charcoal, supported the development of alternative energy sources, rehabilitated degraded land and helped residents secure more sustainable jobs.
2012
In 2012, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2036, which banned the export and import of Somalia’s charcoal.
2000
Somalia lost about 686,000 hectares of forest between 2000 and 2017, an annual loss that equals at least 6% of all the trees lost in Africa, often from using land for livelihoods made in, for example, charcoal production. This meant the loss of 205 million trees, the equivalent of creating five million tons of CO₂ emissions. The main theatre of forest loss is the southwest, where the Islamist al-Shabaab group holds territory. After livestock, charcoal is now the second-most important export from Somalia with up to 250,000 tons of it produced annually.
1990
The consequences for the environment are dramatic: Whereas forests represented about 13% of Somalia’s land area in 1990, they only covered about 10.7% in 2010, with signs of accelerating deforestation rates in recent years.
1970
Since the 1970s, charcoal has been one of Somalia’s principal exports, along with livestock, hides, and bananas. Charcoal and firewood are the primary sources of energy for the majority of households in Somalia and charcoal production provides a considerable amount of employment in rural areas. Despite several attempts to ban charcoal production because of its detrimental environmental effects, the industry has increasingly grown following the collapse of the Somalian state.