Page 8 - Somalia Report

Coral reefs support marine animals by providing
food and shelter. They are also a source of
medicine and provide construction material
to man. Both the hard and soft coral reef exist
in Somalia. Some fringing reefs are located
between 0.5 and 1.5 kilometres towards the
Kenyan border, near Kismayo (Rod Dalm et al,
Country Profile
1998). They grow in warm and shallow waters
where temperatures are between 21 and 30 C.
0
Any sudden changes in temperature because of
The Republic of Somalia
climate change are likely to affect their growth.
Coral reefs are commonly off the coast of Africa
and in the Red Sea, where Somalia is located. The
coral reefs found along the Somalia coast are a
rare type not found anywhere in the world (Qasim
Farah, 2016). The cold upwelling off Somalia’s
northern coast affects the growth of coral reef.

The Constraints
Deforestation

A key driver of deforestation is the demand for biomass for energy. This is fuelled by the unaffordably
high price of electricity. Electricity in Somalia ranges from US $0.8-1.2 per kWh compared to Kenya at
US $0.16 and Ethiopia at US $0.03. Data from 2015, indicates that 80-90 per cent of the population
relies on traditional biomass fuels, wood and charcoal, and the annual consumption of charcoal is
estimated at around 4 million tons per annum (FGS, 2019).

Land degradation

Deforestation leads to land degradation in countryside impacting the micro-climate and other
resources such as rivers and lakes; and along the coastal areas leads to siltation of marine areas.
Construction of urban areas along the coast also comes with impacts from human activities
including disposal of solid wastes and sewage which if not handled well can lead to pollution of
the coastal areas and marine waters. Land degradation can also lead to desertification in drylands
if not mitigated. Severe droughts and flash floods are the results of declining vegetation cover and
topsoil erosion over time.

The opportunity
Capacity building and partnership

The Somali National Development Plan proposes capacity building and training as a way to protecting
the marine environment and improving the enforcement of marine regulations. It supports skills
development of 30 per cent of staff from the Federal Government and promotes the co-management
of marine ecosystem by communities and government through partnerships.

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