Garowe, Oct 23, 2013 – Today the Puntland Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and
Tourism (MoEWT), the European Union (EU), Adeso and CARE International launched
“Your environment is your life” (“Deegaankaagu waa noloshaada”) initiative. The
four-year initiative, that was signed in February 2013, aims to reduce hunger and
food insecurity by improving rangeland conditions in Puntland, Somalia, focusing
specifically on the Sool, Sanaag, Bari, Mudug, Karkaar and Nugaal regions.
The initiative offers Puntland’s broader community – including pastoral families,
urban households, IDPs, the business community and charcoal traders – the
opportunity to collectively benefit from improved and sustainable rangeland
resources, alternative energy sources and employment opportunities. Over the next
four years, the MoEWT and the EU, through Adeso and CARE International, will support
local communities with the implementation of customary laws, the establishment of
community based environmental courts and support to prevent the misuse of natural
resources at local level. These efforts should lead to improved management of
natural resources, greater resource-based conflict prevention, and an increase in
alternative energy.
The environment of Puntland is a semi-arid region where pastoralism dominates land
use. Livestock production constitutes most of the economy, with over 60% of the
population sustained by pastoral livelihoods. Assessments conducted by the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2008 found that the Puntland regions had the
highest levels of land degradation in the country, and recent analysis by Somalia
Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) shows that tree cover reduced by an
average of 2.8% per year in Puntland between 2001 and 2006.
“Our region has faced enormous environmental challenges due to trading in charcoal
and unregulated settlements that have put a heavy strain our woodland resources.
This makes us increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change,” said
Puntland’s Vice Minister for Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Burhan Hersi.
“With a total amount of 25 million euros, the EU will contribute to reversing the
desertification cycle by assisting the Puntland authorities in effective management
of rangelands and by empowering 120 communities in the region to identify the
conservation priorities of natural resources in their territories, underscored the
EU Special Envoy to Somalia, Michele Cervone d’Urso.”
“The project aims to increase community capacity for the development of alternative
energy sources that will create jobs and reduce current dependency on firewood and
charcoal” said Abdi Dahir, Adeso’s Program Director for this initiative.
For more information:
Anne-Marie Schryer-Roy, Communications & Advocacy Manager, Adeso
aschryer@adesoafrica.org
