Somalia has launched a “whole-of-government” approach to mobilize climate finance through its newly restructured National Climate Fund (NCF), in a bold effort to position the fragile state as a serious actor in global environmental policy — despite overwhelming humanitarian challenges and chronic underfunding.
The announcement, made during a formal event in Mogadishu, marks a strategic pivot by the Somali government to consolidate its fragmented climate response under a single institutional umbrella. Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh — who also chairs the NCF Board — presided over the launch, calling the fund a “critical financial architecture” to access international climate aid.
Somalia, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, faces intensifying cycles of drought, flooding, and desertification. These environmental shocks have deepened food insecurity, displaced millions, and exacerbated armed conflict over natural resources — all in a state already battling insurgency and economic collapse.
The initiative aligns with Somalia’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and seeks to unlock bilateral and multilateral support — including from the Green Climate Fund and African Development Bank.
“This isn’t just a climate plan — it’s a governance revolution,” said Minister Egeh. “We are coordinating across ministries, local governments, and civil society to ensure climate resilience becomes a core part of Somalia’s national development agenda.”
International partners praised the move as a promising signal of political commitment. A UNDP representative present at the launch noted that “Somalia now has a framework to build climate trust with donors.”
For a state often viewed through the lens of fragility and conflict, Somalia’s climate finance strategy is both ambitious and strategic. By framing climate action as a national security priority, Mogadishu is betting on environmental diplomacy to attract funding, rebuild legitimacy, and reassert sovereignty over its own development narrative.
Still, implementation challenges loom large. The country faces capacity constraints, limited financial tracking systems, and persistent governance weaknesses. Without robust transparency and inclusive engagement at the local level, the NCF risks becoming a donor-facing façade rather than a transformative instrument.
But in a global climate finance landscape often dominated by middle-income recipients, Somalia’s coordinated pitch — if backed by credible action — could help reshape how fragile states engage the green funding ecosystem.
