Monday December 5, 2022
Djibouti (HOL) - The Somali think tank Heritage Institute held its sixth annual Forum for Ideas in Djibouti City, Djibouti, on Sunday, bringing together over 350 senior politicians, academics, businesspeople and civil society leaders to discuss the impact of climate change in the Horn of Africa.
Dr. Afyare Elmi, executive director of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, told reporters that the three-day summit will focus on how to address challenges created by climate change and violence in the Horn of Africa.
Dr. Elmi went on to say that this year's forum is unique in that over 40 research papers will be presented over three days, and representatives from 25 universities from throughout Somalia will be in attendance.
"We want to find the solution in knowledge," said Afyare Elmi.
The high-level politicians attending the forum included the deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, Salah Jamac, minister of water, Mohamed A. Mousa Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development; former Prime Ministers of the country, Mohamed Hussein Roble and Abdi Farah Shirdoon; and former President of Hirshabelle.
The first day of the meeting was dedicated to water, renewable energy, and climate change. Dr Ibrahim Abikar moderated the discussion, which featured top water and climate expert Dr Abdullahi Elmi Mohamed and senior advisor to Somalia's Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdikani Abdullahi Moallim.
SIMAD University researchers Abdimalik Ali Warsame and Fatouma Ahmed presented their research findings during the panel discussion.
Special Presidential Envoy for Drought Response for the Federal Republic of Somalia, Abdirahman Abdishakur, said that it's an opportunity for the elite in politics and academia to discuss the effects of climate on the security of the region and the best ways to adapt to its impacts.
Monday's schedule will be chaired by environment expert Amina Maalim and will focus on climate change's impact on the health sector. Dr Abdinasir Yusuf Osman, a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London; Abdihamid Warsame, a WHO Technical Officer; Hussein Mohamed Yusuf, a climate change expert IGAD, and researcher Gallad Mohamed Barre are the panellists.
The experts will discuss drought, armed conflict, and agro-pastoral climate change.