Somalia Calls for Stronger Climate Finance for Vulnerable Countries

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia has called for more effective climate financing for countries on the front line of climate change, saying funding must reach vulnerable communities facing repeated droughts, floods and other climate-related shocks.

The call was made at a regional meeting of finance ministries on climate action in Salvador, Brazil, where Somali officials shared the country’s experience in mobilising and using climate finance.

Liban Obsiye, executive director of the Somali National Climate Change Fund, said Somalia had made progress in developing its climate finance systems but continued to face challenges in accessing the resources needed to strengthen resilience.

He argued that climate funding should be directed more effectively towards countries and communities most exposed to the effects of a changing climate.

The three-day meeting brought together government officials and climate finance experts from African and South American countries to exchange experiences and explore ways of increasing investment in climate action.

Discussions focused on different ways of mobilising climate finance, including domestic revenue, public-private partnerships and disaster risk financing.

Obsiye also highlighted Somalia’s approach of combining government action with community-led efforts to build resilience against climate-related shocks.

Somalia is among the countries highly exposed to climate variability, with recurring droughts and floods disrupting livelihoods, agriculture and water supplies and increasing humanitarian needs.

The country has been seeking greater international climate financing to support longer-term resilience rather than relying primarily on emergency assistance after disasters occur.

The meeting also examined how international cooperation, innovation and knowledge-sharing could help expand access to climate finance and support sustainable climate solutions.

Participants discussed regional cooperation and experiences in green initiatives, as well as new approaches to financing climate action.

The second Regional Meeting of Finance Ministries on Climate Action was jointly organised by the French Development Agency, Brazil’s Ministry of Finance, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Institute for Climate Economics.

The discussions provided Somalia an opportunity to highlight the gap between the scale of climate-related risks facing vulnerable countries and their ability to mobilise the financing needed to prepare for them.