MOGADISHU, Somalia

Somalia held a significant Security and Climate Conference on Monday in the capital Mogadishu, focusing on the critical intersection of climate change and national security.

The event was inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama and organized by the office of the National Security Adviser, attracting senior government officials and representatives from international partners, including the UN and the African Union.

The conference aims to prepare Somalia’s security sector for the challenges posed by climate change.

“The conference today is so important because it brings together people from the climate side to discuss with the security actors and vice versa,” said Christophe Hodder, the UN climate security and environmental advisor to Somalia, in comments to Anadolu.

He emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to tackle the future challenges of climate change and insecurity.

Somalia has faced severe climate-related challenges, including the worst drought in decades in 2023, followed by extensive flooding—the most significant in generations.

A Climate Risk Profile by the consultancy Weathering Risk indicates that temperatures in Somalia could rise by 1.4 to 1.9 °C by 2030 compared to pre-industrial levels.

In addition to climate challenges, Somalia continues to combat instability stemming from attacks by the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab, which has been engaged in conflict with the Somali government and African Union peacekeepers since 2007.