Over 350 top politicians, academics, businesses, and representatives of the civil society gathered on Sunday in Djibouti City, Djibouti, for the sixth annual Forum for Ideas hosted by the Somali think tank Heritage Institute to address the effects of climate change in the Horn of Africa.
Dr. Afyare Elmi, executive director of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, stated in reports that the three-day forum’s main topic would be how to address issues brought on by conflict and climate change in the Horn of Africa.
In addition, over 40 research papers will be presented over the course of the three days, according to Dr. Afyare Elmi, making this year’s forum different from previous ones. Additionally, 25 universities from across the nation will be in attendance.
Afyare Elmi added, “We want to discover the answer in knowledge.
The forum’s first day was devoted to discussing climate change, renewable energy, and water. Dr. Abdullahi Elmi Mohamed, Top Advisor to Somalia’s Minister of Agriculture, and senior water and climate expert Dr. Ibrahim Abikar will participate in the discussion. Researchers Fatouma Ahmed and Abdimalik Ali Warsame from SIMAD University and Dr. Abdikani Abdullahi Moallim.
Salah Jamac, the deputy prime minister of Somalia, Mohamed A. Mousa, the minister of environment and sustainable development, Abdi Farah Shirdoon, the former president of Hirshabelle, and Mohamed Hussein Roble, the minister of water, were among the high-ranking politicians present at the forum.
Abdirahman Abdishakur, Special Presidential Envoy for Drought Response for the Federal Republic of Somalia, stated that it is a chance for the political and academic elite to examine how climate change affects regional security and the best strategies to adapt to its effects.
The centerpiece of Monday’s agenda, which will be presided over by environmental specialist Amina Maalim, will be how climate change is affecting the health sector. The panelists include Hussein Mohamed Yusuf, an expert on climate change for IGAD, Dr. Abdinasir Yusuf Osman, a postdoctoral researcher at the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London, Abdihamid Warsame, a technical officer for WHO, and Gallad Mohamed Barre, a researcher.
Drought, violent conflict, and agro-pastoral climate change will all be topics covered by the specialists.