state of the environment in Somalia - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

Much of the country – around 60 per
cent – is covered by sparse savannah
woodlands. Forests and woodlands are
important resources on account of the
fact that wood is the main source of
household energy and construction
materials for the bulk of the population,
but charcoal – and certain other wood
products – are also important for the
revenue they provide. Important native
forest exports include frankincense
from Boswellia species growing in the
north-east, Commiphora, which produces
myrrh, in the south-west, gum Arabic from Acacia spp,
and Cordeauxia edulis (now thought to be endangered) which
produces yicib nuts in the central regions (UNEP, 1984). In 1985
Somalia was the world’s largest source of incense, and produced
over 2,000 tonnes. Forestry has usually accounted for about 2.5
per cent of GDP. Frankincense used to be Somalia’s 4 th largest
foreign currency export earner with an annual production of 12,000
tonnes. Due to their value, Boswellia are highly prized trees with
tree tenure systems. Although not cut for charcoal or other uses,
their natural regeneration is threatened by over-grazing
(EC/IUCN, 1997).
On the basis of a study made on wood-based energy dynamics
in Somalia, the charcoal output of north-east Somalia in 1996
alone was estimated to be in the order of 4.8 million sacks, each
weighing 25-30kg, 80 per cent of which were exported. Producing
such a volume required cutting about 2.1 million Acacia
nilotica trees. At an average density of 60 trees per hectare, this
translates into a deforestation rate of 35,000 hectares of land a
year. Such a rate of deforestation would have cleared 170,000
hectares of land during the last five years of the 1990s alone,
when the area witnessed a massive outflow of charcoal for
export (WSP, 2001) (see Box 13).
Somali women carrying wood. Credit: UNDP Somalia
Box 11. Degrading lands
Rangeland degradation and the formation of sand dunes now
affects considerable parts of the country. Dregne (1982)
concludes that all rangelands are degraded while a World
Bank (1987) survey found Somalia’s northern ranges to be
the most seriously (as much as 50 per cent) degraded owing
to their steep topography, large numbers of livestock and
proximity to ports for livestock export. Over much of the
country, areas around water holes or wells are all degraded.
Environment in Somalia 42 UNEP Desk Study
Box 12. Mist forests of
northern Somalia
The mist forests of the Goolis
mountains of "Somaliland" are the
only true forest areas of Somalia
and are important centres of
biological diversity and species
endemism. On account of their
biological richness, mist forests –
so called because of their ability
to remove moisture from the air as
it blows in from the coast and rises
above the plateaux – are also
important resources for pastoralists
during dry seasons and periods
of drought.
Gacaan Libax, a highland area
reaching 1,719 m asl in northwestern
Somalia, hosts one of the
largest and most intact mist forest
areas in Somalia. Local people are
well aware of the importance of
these forests to their livelihoods,
especially for the grazing and water
resources they provide. The loss
of traditional grazing lands to
private livestock exclosures, as
well as an increased number of
livestock and the lack of law
enforcement combine to now force
people to demand more and more
from these forests.
As a result, soil erosion is
becoming more evident as overgrazing
and deforestation take
place. To avoid conflicts from
developing, opportunities like this
provide an ideal setting for the
development of community-based
land management plans.