Nature in Somalia

Somalia's dominant natural landscape is arid and semi-arid rangeland used for pastoralism and seasonal livestock movement. Other significant environments include the Golis and northern highlands, plateaus and escarpments, seasonal wadis, the Juba and Shabelle river corridors, floodplains, wetlands, the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean coasts, mangroves, seagrass beds and coral ecosystems. Natural processes that affect land and livelihoods include drought, flash and river floods, erosion, sand movement, salinity and coastal change. The Federal Ministry of Environment and Climate Change leads national policy on the environment, climate, biodiversity, forests and wildlife. Environment ministries in the Federal Member States handle implementation at state level. The Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range covers livestock, forests and grazing areas; the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation is relevant to riverine and floodplain agriculture; the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources deals with water; and the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy manages marine resources and fisheries. Community elders and clans often influence access to grazing, water and coastal resources through customary rules. NGOs, UN agencies, universities, FAO and SWALIM support conservation, data collection, education, restoration and monitoring. The 2024 Environmental Protection and Management Act provides a federal framework for environmental management, biodiversity, protected areas, wildlife, environmental and social impact assessment, and restoration. It defines protected areas and national parks and addresses rare and threatened species, poaching and illegal wildlife trade. Implementation, boundaries, ranger services and enforcement remain uneven. Lag Badana-Bushbushle National Park is a historically established protected area whose revival has been pursued by Jubaland. Other protected areas and marine protected areas may appear in databases as proposed or incomplete records, so a database entry does not prove current boundaries, management or visitor access. Somalia has substantial biodiversity, including threatened or notable species such as the hirola, African wild dog, savanna elephant, Somali wild ass, cheetah, gerenuk and gazelles. Marine wildlife includes sea turtles, sharks, rays, cetaceans and coral-reef fish, while bird habitats include important migration routes. Habitat loss and fragmentation, drought, poaching, illegal wildlife trade, invasive species, overfishing, bycatch and conflict threaten these species. Population data are incomplete, especially in insecure areas. Research or wildlife monitoring may require approval from the responsible authority, Federal Member State or community, together with a security assessment. Nature use includes pastoral grazing and transhumance, communal access to water, small-scale coastal fishing, fuelwood and charcoal collection, frankincense and myrrh resins, medicinal plants, sand extraction and riverine agriculture. Customary access and tenure can be decisive, but rights to collect, hunt, fish or extract resources are not uniform across Somalia. The 2024 Act prohibits the import and export of charcoal. Overgrazing, charcoal production, illegal forestry and fishing, and competition over land, water and coastal access create recurring conflicts. Customary practice may differ from formal law, so the relevant authority, community representatives, parties to the dispute and security conditions must be identified locally. Nature-based recreation is mainly informal. Beaches, coastal areas, marine activities, landscapes and wildlife visits may be possible in some places, and ecotourism has been discussed for Lag Badana, but infrastructure, guides, rescue services, insurance, permits and security vary greatly. There is no reliable nationwide standard for visitor access, permits or fees. Transport, security and logistics can cost more than any site charge, and timing depends on rainfall, river levels, pastoral migration, wildlife presence, project approvals and security clearance. Environmental hazards include drought, desertification and land degradation, flash and river floods, erosion, sand and dust storms, coastal flooding and erosion, salinity, vegetation loss and wildfires. The 2025/26 drought has placed pressure on pasture, water and livestock. The Juba and Shabelle corridors are particularly exposed to flooding. SWALIM, FAO, Federal Member State authorities, SoDMA, FEWS NET and ICPAC provide different types of environmental, early-warning and situation information. SoDMA concerns disaster and early-warning coordination rather than ordinary nature administration; emergency response belongs to the disaster-management sphere. Environmental and biodiversity education is delivered through ministries, schools, universities, NGOs, community projects, pastoral extension and fisheries or livelihood programmes. Somali and English are commonly used in programmes, but there is no single nationwide nature qualification, access pathway, fee or application deadline. Field research usually requires a defined site, permission, community coordination and a security plan. Indigenous knowledge and community stewardship can be relevant sources of ecological knowledge and local management. For a project, visit or resource-use activity, identify the exact Federal Member State and site, check current security and access conditions, contact the responsible federal or state authority, and consult relevant customary or community actors. Check the current protection status, seasonal rules, species restrictions and any required permit or environmental and social impact assessment. The project proponent pays assessment costs, and an assessment certificate does not replace other permits or licences. National inventories, protected-area boundaries, species counts, enforcement records, fees and local procedures remain incomplete or partly outdated, so unverified information should not be treated as proof of legal access or current conditions.