Key policies and governance approach

Somalia has been a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) since its ratification in 2009 [5]. In compliance with its obligations under the provisions of the CBD, Somalia developed its first National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) which was formed through a long consultative process, finalized, and submitted to the secretariat in 2016 [1]. The NBSAP, guided by the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Targets, has the following vision “By 2050, Somalia’s biological diversity is appreciated, restored, conserved and its components are utilized in sustainable manner that contributes to the socio-economic development of the nation” [5].

To achieve this vision, Somalia’s NBSAP includes a goal and objective, 8 overarching principles, and 14 strategic approaches which will guide the 5 main priority areas. The 5 main priority areas are as follows: I). Creating understanding of the drivers of biodiversity degradation together with response measures; II). Reduce the direct pressures on Somali biodiversity; III). Safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity; IV). Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity with emphasis on sharing it with marginalized groups; and V). Enhanced participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building. These priority areas are supported through 20 Aichi targets, broken down into 71 sub targets that will be achieved through 233 SMART indicators [5].

The protection of biodiversity in Somalia is also shaped by relevant biodiversity related policies, laws, and regulations. This includes the National Environment Policy [2], the 2014 Fisheries Law [8], the National Wildlife Policy, National Wildlife Strategic Plan, and the National Forestry and Wildlife Act [5]. Additionally, a National Charcoal Policy is now in place to counter deforestation [2].

Successes and remaining challenges

Since the 1970s, Somalia has signed a number of important conventions and multilateral agreements that relate to biodiversity. While signalling Somalia’s aspirations with respect to halting biodiversity loss and preventing the extinction of threatened species, the impact of these conventions on the ground has arguably been limited [8].

The gaps and needs that limit the ability of Somalia to strengthen biodiversity conservation and sustainable use have been outlined in the NBSAP.  These include weak institutional capacity and the absence of synergy among biodiversity managing actors. In most areas, a sectoral approach prevails over a holistic and more coherent approach that would generally be more effective. Additionally, the lack of baseline assessments of biodiversity represents a major gap, as any effective management requires a sound baseline assessment. Several institutional areas also need strengthening, including policy and laws, staffing, skills, technology, and networking. Further, the reversal of the prevailing degradation process demands considerable finances, which are not available, thus the financial gap needs to be adequately filled [5]. Currently, due to insecurity in the country, most of the budget is spent on attaining peace and dealing with immediate food insecurity [1]. As such, a systematic approach needs to be developed to move ahead with conservation activities despite security issues [5].

Though Somalia has around 21 protected areas, as of 2020, there has been no effective biodiversity resource management and formal protection for protected areas since the collapse of the central government in 1991. The most serious concern is the lack of effective legislation concerning the management of the protected areas and the absence of a functioning conservation infrastructure. Eleven wildlife areas have been declared since the 1970s, but only two were thought to be functional. In practice, there has been no formal protection offered to any of these sites since the early 1990s [3].