MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia convened a pivotal Security and Climate Conference on Monday in its capital, Mogadishu, to address the intertwining issues of climate change and national security.
The conference, opened by Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama, was facilitated by the National Security Adviser’s office and drew high-level participation from both domestic officials and international entities such as the United Nations and the African Union.
The gathering is intended to equip Somalia’s security apparatus to confront the escalating challenges brought on by climate change.
Christophe Hodder, the UN’s climate security and environmental advisor to Somalia, highlighted the conference’s significance, stating, “The conference today is so important because it brings together people from the climate side to discuss with the security actors and vice versa,” in remarks to Anadolu Agency.
Somalia has been grappling with severe climate impacts, notably experiencing its most severe drought in decades in 2023, followed by unprecedented flooding. A Climate Risk Profile by Weathering Risk suggests that Somalia’s temperatures could increase by 1.4 to 1.9 degrees Celsius by 2030 compared to pre-industrial levels.
Moreover, the country faces ongoing security threats from al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked group, that has conflicted with the Somali government and African Union forces since 2007, adding another layer of complexity to the nation’s climate resilience efforts.
