Somalia Environment Minister Warns Galmudug on Rapid Desertification
Somalia’s environment minister visited Galmudug’s Bud-bud town to assess climate damage, where advancing sand dunes are burying homes and displacing residents, urging urgent reforestation and joint environmental action.
Somalia’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Bashiir Mohamed Jamaac, concluded a critical field visit to Galmudug State to witness first-hand the escalating impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on vulnerable communities.
Accompanied by Galmudug’s State Minister of Environment, Minister Bashiir’s tour included a sobering visit to Bud-bud town, where the advancing frontline of the climate crisis is starkly visible. Encroaching sand dunes have submerged sections of the town, swallowing homes and forcing residents to flee—a powerful testament to the rapid desertification gripping the region.
Throughout the visit, the minister engaged directly with affected urban and rural residents, convening community dialogues on the interconnected threats of deforestation, drought, and livelihood loss. He emphasized that the widespread cutting of trees for charcoal and fuel is not only an environmental issue but a direct driver of humanitarian disaster.
“The continued destruction of our forests is signing a warrant for more severe droughts and irreversible desertification,” Minister Bashiir warned. “The consequences will echo for generations if we do not change course now.”
He stressed that environmental protection must become a national priority and a collective responsibility, transcending government ministries alone. Effective solutions, he noted, demand coordinated action between federal and state authorities, local communities, civil society, and international partners.
In his closing remarks, the minister issued a powerful call to action, urging all Somalis—starting with the people of Galmudug—to actively participate in reforestation, sustainable land management, and environmental stewardship.
Climate change is not a distant threat in Somalia—it is present, physical, and progressing. The sands are shifting, homes are being buried, and lives are being uprooted. This visit underscores a growing national recognition: in Somalia, protecting the environment is fundamentally about preserving the nation’s future. The time for collective action is now.
