Environment, Climate Change & Natural Resource Management
Sector Overview
SONAFO works to protect Somalia’s environment, strengthen climate resilience, andpromote sustainable use of natural resources. Somalia faces serious challenges such asdrought, deforestation, land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate-related disasters.This sector focuses on restoring ecosystems, protecting natural resources, and helpingcommunities adapt to climate change while improving their livelihoods.
SONAFO supports communities to adapt to droughts, floods, rising temperatures, andchanging rainfall patterns, while promoting activities that reduce environmentaldamage and lower climate risks.
Key Focus Areas
- Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation — Helping communities adapt todroughts, floods, rising temperatures, and shifting rainfall patterns while reducingenvironmental damage and climate risk.
- Environmental Conservation — Protecting forests, rangelands, rivers, coastalareas, wildlife habitats, and other natural ecosystems from degradation andoveruse.
- Ecosystem Restoration — Restoring degraded lands, forests, riverbanks, grazingareas, and coastal ecosystems so they can once again support people, livestock,wildlife, and biodiversity.
- Reforestation and Afforestation — Supporting tree planting, communitynurseries, and protection of native trees to reduce erosion and restore deforested
areas. - Land Degradation Control — Advancing soil protection, erosion control,sustainable land use, and community awareness to reduce desertification andrestore productive land.
- Natural Resource Governance — Helping communities and institutions manageland, water, forests, rangelands, and biodiversity fairly, transparently, andsustainably.
Why It Matters (Benefits)
- Protects the natural systems that Somali communities and livelihoods depend on
- Builds long-term resilience against increasingly severe climate shocks
- Restores degraded land and ecosystems for future generations
- Strengthens transparent, community-based governance of natural resources
