Friday August 29, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia has launched its first National Climate Fund, creating a centralized mechanism to mobilize international financing for climate projects as the country faces intensifying droughts, floods, and extreme weather.
The fund was formally operationalized at a two-day workshop in Mogadishu on Aug. 27–28, where more than 60 senior government officials, private-sector representatives, and civil society leaders endorsed a roadmap and annual work plan. The event also introduced the Somali Climate Finance Trial, a pilot initiative designed to put the fund into practice and link Somalia to global financing streams such as the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and the Global Environment Facility.
Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh, who chairs the fund’s board, said climate financing is now “a strategic priority.”
“Mobilizing and managing climate finance through the National Climate Fund will not only enable us to respond more effectively to urgent challenges but also allow us to plan for a more resilient and sustainable future,” he said. “This process demonstrates our government’s commitment to channeling resources transparently and equitably, reaching the communities that need them most.”
Environment and Climate Change Minister Lt. Gen. Bashir Mohamed Jama co-chaired the launch, underscoring Somalia’s move toward what officials called a “whole-of-government” approach to climate financing.
At the closing session, Liban Obsiye, executive director of the fund, stressed that partnership will be critical to Somalia’s efforts. “Access to climate finance is about meeting our immediate national needs but also about investing in our long-term stability and sustainable development and protecting the most vulnerable communities from the worsening impacts of climate change,” he said.
The fund was established by presidential decree under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as a national framework for raising, allocating, and overseeing climate resources. Its board brings together key ministries and state institutions, while also engaging private-sector stakeholders and civil society groups recognized under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Officials say the new system will strengthen Somalia’s credibility with international donors, ensure accountability in how resources are used, and prioritize support for communities on the frontlines of climate change.
