The Federal Government of Somalia, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), launched a US$18.9 million project aimed at conserving Somalia’s terrestrial and marine ecosystems while strengthening the resilience and livelihoods of communities living in and around protected areas.

The six-year Somalia biodiversity programme will be implemented nationwide under the leadership of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, with UNDP as the implementing partner. It is funded by a US$12.4 million grant from the GEF and complemented by US$1.5 million from UNDP and US$5 million in in-kind contributions from the Federal Government of Somalia.

The initiative will focus on the establishment and strengthening of 11 terrestrial and marine protected areas across Somalia, totaling approximately 387,000 hectares. These include Hobyo, Harardheere, Chilani and Manari Islands, Rooboow, Jawhar, Adalle, Laagbadane (Laga Badana–Bushbush), Dhahar, Daalo Mountain Forest, Sacadin–Zeylac Archipelago, and Eyl–Garacad.

The programme will support legal reforms and protected-area gazettement, restore more than 6,500 hectares of degraded land, remove 8,000 hectares of invasive species such as Prosopis juliflora, which continues to displace native flora, and establish infrastructure and management systems for all 11 protected areas. These efforts will also contribute to absorbing 888,869 tonnes of CO₂e from the environment.

Over 200,000 people — particularly rural communities, women, youth, and households dependent on natural resources — are expected to benefit directly through improved livelihoods, sustainable natural resource management, and greater participation in conservation efforts.

“This programme represents a national effort to conserve Somalia’s globally significant biodiversity while strengthening coordination between federal and Federal Member State institutions,” said Ahmed Omar Mohamed, State Minister for Environment and Climate Change (MoECC), during the project’s first Steering Committee meeting organized last week in Mogadishu.

“Environmental and social safeguards will be fully integrated throughout implementation, ensuring that conservation goes hand in hand with social inclusion and long-term sustainability. I reaffirm the Ministry’s full commitment to providing leadership, coordination, and oversight so this programme delivers tangible results for Somalia’s people and ecosystems,” added the Minister.

“We are pleased to kick-start the programme jointly with the Federal Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, in collaboration with its counterparts in the Federal Member States. We believe the programme will play a critical role in restoring and protecting Somalia’s terrestrial and marine habitats, ecosystems, and species, which form a vital part of the Horn of Africa and the East African Coastal Forests biodiversity hotspots. We would like to express our gratitude to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for funding this important initiative,” stated Dr. Christopher Laker, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Somalia. “UNDP remains committed to supporting Somalia in delivering high-impact, well-governed environmental programmes,” he added.

The initiative also marks a major step toward establishing Somalia’s first post-war network of legally recognized protected areas, addressing decades of limited formal protection following the collapse of state institutions in 1991.

GEF Operational Focal Point Abdullahi Godah Barre emphasized the programme’s alignment with national and global environmental priorities.

“With all governance, safeguards, and coordination mechanisms now in place, I fully support the Steering Committee’s endorsement and the start of programme implementation. This initiative is fully aligned with national priorities and GEF objectives, and it demonstrates Somalia’s readiness to implement large-scale, high-quality environmental investments.”

Over the next six years, the Somalia Biodiversity Programme is expected to drive a transformational shift toward sustainable biodiversity governance, ecosystem restoration, and community resilience, while also delivering concrete socio-economic benefits through nature-based livelihoods in sustainable fisheries, eco-tourism, and non-timber forest product value chains.

The programme will be implemented through a Direct Implementation Modality (DIM), bringing together government ministries, Federal Member State authorities, conservation NGOs, community organizations, and UN agencies to pool expertise, resources, and local knowledge, ensuring efficient delivery and community-driven capacity building.

For more information or any inquires, please contact UNDP Somalia: https://www.undp.org/somalia/contact-us