Somalia held a pivotal Security and Climate Conference in the capital, Mogadishu, on Monday, addressing the pressing connection between climate change and national security.
Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama inaugurated the event, organized by the office of the National Security Adviser. It attracted high-level government officials and representatives from international partners, including the United Nations and the African Union.
The conference aimed to equip Somalia’s security sector to better handle the growing challenges posed by climate change.
Christophe Hodder, the UN climate security and environmental advisor to Somalia, highlighted the importance of collaboration between climate experts and security actors.
Somalia has been grappling with severe climate issues, including a historic drought in 2023 and catastrophic floods—the worst in generations.
A Climate Risk Profile from Weathering Risk warns that Somalia’s temperatures could rise by 1.4 to 1.9°C by 2030.
In addition to climate concerns, the nation faces ongoing instability due to attacks from the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group al-Shabaab, which has waged conflict against the Somali government and African Union forces since 2007.
