State of the environment in Somalia: a desk study

The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 affected part of Somalia, with most of the damage experienced in the north-east along a 650 km coastline stretching from Xafuun in the Bari region. UNEP was requested by the Somalia Transitional Federal Government to conduct a detailed desk study on the state of the environment in Somalia. Findings of the Desk Study indicate that not much information is available with regard to many aspects of natural resources management, although there is still sufficient evidence to highlight a number of concerns over recent and current patterns of natural resources use. On the one hand Somalia is experiencing significant environmental problems, including deforestation, overfishing, overgrazing and soil erosion, while on the other it lacks both human and financial resources as well as a political structure and stability sufficient to allow these issues to be addressed at even the most basic level.