Unaddressed impact of climate change holding back Somalia’s prosperity: Deputy Prime Minister

Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Salah Ahmed Jama, says the unaddressed impact of climate change is the most profound challenge holding his nation back from achieving stability and prosperity.

Salah, speaking at the COP30 Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil, said that years of overcoming immense challenges in Somalia, including terrorism, state failure, and a decade-long debt relief process, are systematically undermined by the climate crisis.

“In my country, a country that has the longest coastline in continental Africa, 70 million livestock, and a great potential in every aspect of economic growth, the most profound challenge we’re facing is the impact of climate change,” Salah said.

He criticised the global focus on humanitarian aid as a solution for hunger and poverty, noting his attendance at a recent global summit on hunger where discussions centred on “how to cope and adapt” rather than the origin of the crisis.

“It’s undoubtedly one of the most obvious root causes is the impact of climate change,” he stated.

Fragile countries

Salah linked the climate crisis directly to instability, displacement, and conflict, particularly in fragile nations. He cited World Bank estimates that by 2030, over 60% of the world’s poor will live in conflict-prone and fragile countries category that Somalia falls into.

“If you do not address the root causes of displacement, lack of social cohesion, and conflicts, which are droughts and floods emanating from climate change, the solution cannot be reached,” he warned.

The Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that Somalia has fulfilled its obligations under the Paris Agreement and is launching its third-generation Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) at the summit.

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