First I ask myself what are the basic factors contributed the high level
rate deforestation in Somaliland?
The actual process of deforestation is the cutting down and burning of
the trees in our forests burn is the most common way it is done it causes
permanent irreversible damage that caused by the growing population that We
lose many different things when deforestation occurs, that is way It’s not just
where the deforestation is occurring either deforestation can affect people
thousands of miles away from a forest.
The
deforestation in Somaliland increasing an alarming rate by using one of the
main sources of energy which is charcoal production, that mostly uses for
cooking because the reason of this increase is lack of alternative energy. This
issue caused by the worse environmental disaster faced Somaliland forever,
although the government and civil society effort to reduce this risk
Over
the past five years i have been working Environmental activist for different institutions,
involved the environment, climate
movement such as Somaliland Environment and Education Youth Organizations
SEEYO, the Government, Degaan Network
and environmental Clubs of Secondary and Universities by planting, producing
programs and serious drama, advocacy, and awareness raising to improve
biodiversity ecological services to understanding my people socially, economic, and political forces in
achieving solutions to environmental problems
However,
the most
problems on environment in Somaliland is deforestation, because 99% of Somaliland
energy source is a charcoal and the charcoal manufactured by the trees, this
caused for highly number of eradication trees that using by charcoal production
energy, this serious issue of deforestation in Somaliland is getting worse over
the last two decades.
However, in many different places of Somaliland
forest areas were ugly destroyed by using the production of charcoal energy,
mostly the people working the charcoal production are absolutely Nomadic youth
who doesn’t married because there is no another skill that they can able to
work or produce other resources of the country
The lack of education of nomadic people is a take a
part for the deforestation because they don’t understand the negative impact of
the deforestation and biodiversity of their environment
The
negative impact of deforestation
There are many challenges that caused by the
deforestation
·
Troughs
·
Soil
erosion
·
conservation
·
floods
Renewable
Energy
Other
Renewable Energy resources of Somaliland that now available and easy to get
some of them the Somaliland Community
1. Solar
Energy and wind energy
Now, in
Somaliland a few people uses the solar energy system, the solar and its
equipments you can get easily the main towns of Somaliland although the price
of the solar and their equipment is very high
The Usage of solar energy system need to develop that has
some auxiliary mechanical equipment -Think of technical requirements and design
process as Factors that affect quantity, quality and timing of solar energy
available Quick Advantages: Finally,
this energy will be reducing the air pollution and reduce the price of fuel
while the economic will be growth fast
Wind energy Somaliland is the richest famous place of Horn
of Africa Reference detailed Book Wrote Abokor Abdulahi Yusuf Ali Staff of
Ministry of Mineral, water and Energy Expert wind Analyzer prepared Book , Wind
energy will be reduce the air pollution and reduce the price of fuel while the
economic will be growth fast
2. BIO-GAS
Energy
In 2010
it is the first time that Somaliland developed by Bio-gas energy, in the early
of 2010 tested the BIO-GAS Energy small village named BARQO-DHEREG that 15 km
of East Buroa District, this energy use the cooking of Modern Restaurant in
over there
However,
many student graduated the Environmental Science of University of Hargiesa were
tested and able to produce Bio-gas than the easy the charcoal production
3. Wind
Energy:
4.
Hydroelectric schemes
These use the GPE of water on hills
to generate electricity as it flows downhill.
Resource
Methodology of alternative Energies in Somaliland
- Preparation baseline survey of Solar, wind and Boi-gas
strategy
- Developing strategic fundraising and investment that the ministry of foreign
affairs and international relations with collaborating Somaliland
colleagues advocate to promote international investment of Somaliland
The
relation between deforestation and Climate Change:
What is Climate Change?
There are many different
definitions that about climate change but in generally the Climate is the
average weather at a given point and time of year, however, the expectation of
the weather to change a lot from day to day, but we expect the climate to remain
relatively constant therefore, If the climate doesn’t remain constant, we call
it climate change.
Also we need to understand
this critical question that is what a significant change is – and this depends
upon the underlying level of climate variability?
To be deeply understand for
this question I want to compare a two meaningful images that will display
clearly the exchange of evidence of Climate Change over the past three decades
kindly please see the comparing images bellow
Global surface temperatures
have risen by about 0.6°C since 1900
It
is likely that this warming is larger than for any century since 200AD, and
that the 1990s were the warmest decade in the last millennium.
The
warming differs in different parts of the world, but over the last 25 years,
almost everywhere has warmed, and very few places have cooled.
Other
changes have occurred, e.g.:
Sea
level has risen by about 20 cm,
Ocean
heat content has increased,
Almost
all mountain glaciers have retreated
Coincident
with this global warming, levels of CO2 (and other ‘greenhouse’
gases) have dramatically increased, to levels higher than those experienced for
maybe millions of years.
Recommendation
Ø Affordable fuel alternatives to
charcoal – coal, solar, wind, biogas, kerosene, etc.
Ø Enforced ban on charcoal
exports.
Ø Community-led reforestation
schemes.
Ø Enforcement capacities and
improved governance reducing illegal fishing.
Ø Increased water harvesting for
human and animal consumption and livelihoods.
Ø Improved rangelands carrying
capacities for herd expansion through better natural resource management and
land reform.
Conclusion
Finally,
there is a few development of Marine environment and fish resources, forests,
wildlife and water in Somaliland, but somehow getting worse, such as Wildlife
which still existed in 1980s have now disappeared.
Forest
are always faced the problems a few remaining forests zones are being rapidly depleted as a result
of intensive charcoal production that, we understand, is still being exported
despite the official ban on exports: a similar situation is said to exist in
eastern areas, but because of the widespread destruction of forests already in
these areas already, the scale is less but of course still serious at the border
of Somaliland and Somalia
The
productivity of the rangelands in central and eastern regions of Somaliland in
terms of marketable animals produced, has been substantially reduced because of
the four year drought that started in 2000, the cutting of nitrogen producing
acacias for charcoal production, overgrazing in some areas and in many places
massive soil erosion.
Farhan
M. Hidig
Climate change activist
Hargeisa Somaliland
