National Environmental Policy.

This National Environmental Policy is a sectoral document aiming at mainstreaming environmental concerns in all development activities and acting as a guide to action in (i) developing programs and projects for environmental conservation; (ii) reviewing and enacting legislation at Federal and State levels; (iii) stimulating partnerships of different stakeholders for environmental management. The overall goal of the Policy is (i) to enhance the health and quality of life of the Somali people and (ii) to promote sustainable development through sound management of the natural resources of the country. This goal can be achieved through the following 3 main strategic objectives (1) conservation of natural resources; (2) environmental governance; and (3) multi-stakeholder partnerships. The Policy also contains a number of basic principles, they are (i) environmental right; (ii) sustainable development; (iii) public participation; (iv) precautionary principle; (v) polluter-pays principle; (vi) legal liability; (vii) decentralization; (viii) mainstreaming; (ix) preventive action.
The Policy interventions are directed to promote the enactment of up-to-date legislation and this requires as a first step to review the existing body of legislation and identify, prepare and enact new legislation in line with the National Environment Policy, as well as encourage and facilitate review of legislation at State level. It shall be also necessary to translate international Conventions signed by Somalia into the country’s domestic legal system. The following steps will be to update the policies and practices in the sectors that most affect the national economy, and they are (i) Agriculture; (ii) Livestock; (iii) Forestry; (iv) Wildlife; (v) Water Resources; (vi) Marine Resources; (vii) Mineral Resources; (viii) Petroleum Sector; (ix) Energy Resources; (x) Rangeland.
In the agri-food sector the main actions will be lead to (i) improve the livelihoods of the agro-pastoralists, agriculturalists as well as enhance food security of the country; (ii) adopt improved technologies and climate-smart agriculture practices; (iii) rehabilitate productive agricultural infrastructures; (iv) prevent crop pests; (v) improve livestock health services and increase the productivity by promoting innovative breeding and good husbandry practices; (vi) enhance products trade and improve the national food security and food safety systems; (vii) develop forestry strategies and set out the best practices of utilizing forest resources, including production and marketing of incense.
To protect the environment, the Policy suggests (i) safeguarding human and environmental health by producing adequate regulation of agricultural (crop and livestock) chemicals; (ii) preventing overstocking and overgrazing to regulate the stocking of range by promoting organizations for guiding and educating livestock owners, non-formal education at all levels, establishing grazing and drought reserves, and mapping the rangelands; (iii) protect wildlife heritage from the loss of habitat, illegal hunting, the reduction, and degradation of the natural vegetation cover; (iv) strengthen capacity to support climate resilience and mainstream climate change in all sectors of the economy; (v) develop and monitor the mining sector to contribute significantly to sustainable national economic and social growth; (vi) promote the sound management of the petroleum resources; (vii) explore, promote, and use properly the high potential of wind, solar, and fossil fuel energy. Water resources management is of vital importance in arid or semi-arid country, so that the following actions are recommended (i) improve water harvesting and water use efficiency, collection of rain water, improved urban water use efficiency and distribution; (ii) increase water availability in rural areas; (iii) safeguard the quality of fresh water sources from water pollution; (iv) establish an early warning system to prevent river floods, and collaborate with neighboring countries; (v) prevent the dumping of waste into the rivers.
The document also includes a series of cross-cutting issues, of which the most relevant and incisive for the country's development are (i) waste management to prevent risks to human health and the environment; (ii) land rehabilitation and protection from further degradation; (iii) safeguard of both the marine and terrestrial biodiversity; (iv) protection of the cultural and natural heritage; (v) clean technology adoption; (vi) strengthening of disaster preparedness at all levels; (vii) gender by enhancing access to and ownership of natural resources for all gender, people living with disabilities, marginalized and minority groups.
As for Governance, at the Federal level, the Directorate of Environment shall exercise overall policy, planning, and implementation oversight mandate of environmental matters. Federal member states shall have their Ministries of environment responsible for managing the environment in their respective states.