The United Nations (UN) envoy in Somalia, Michael Keating has called for more exploration on Somalia’s renewable energy source just a week before the country host international conference on illegal charcoal trade.
In a statement, Keating said Somalia needs source of energy that is not depleted by use, to overcome challenges facing the country which is slowly recovering from two decades of civil war.
He appealed to foreign and local investors to support development of the energy sources so as to resolve the challenges barring the potential energy sector.
Keating warned against the impact of the deforestation and charcoal burning that depleted large areas of the country’s natural forest.
“Somalia has a population that is growing and urbanizing very fast. Unfortunately, the environment has been very badly damaged through conflict, unregulated exploitation of forests and pasture lands,” said Keating.
The UN envoy said the preservation of the country’s forest should be given high priority to avert imminent climate change.
“Using fossil fuels is very bad in terms of protecting the natural environment upon which so many depend on,” he warned.
The remark of the envoy come as the country is preparing to host international conference to stop the illegal charcoal trade.
The conference which will convene high level official from UN, ambassadors from different trade blocs, environmentalists, and experts will start on 7th May.
Illegal trade in charcoal acts as a major source of funding for Al-shabab and other rival groups in Horn of African nation.
The two day conference is supported by the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP), UN Environment and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from the European Union, Sweden, and Italy.
Discussion about this post