Somaliland is facing climate change now – Shukri Bandare is taking action

By: OXFAM

Climate change is real. In this country it is real.”

Shukri Haji Ismail Bandare is the Minister of Environment and Rural Development in Somaliland. Somaliland is facing climate change now and Shukri is taking action. 

“In the last 10 years, it [has been] like drought after drought. Climate change created huge displacement.”

“[Because of the droughts, people were] walking a long way to rescue their family but could not get pasture, could not get enough water. Could not gather the strength to move. We lost around 70 – 80% of our livestock. So it was a disaster. It literally affected every sector of the society.”  

“I’m one of the founders of Candlelight. Through 1996 to today Candlelight has been working with Oxfam. From the education we started together thousands graduated. Also opening doors and eyes for the civil society of Somaliland. Giving them training… specifically the women. Empowering the women and educating the women in the political arena. And I’m one of them – supporting [women] to become the decision makers of the society.

I was nominated as a Minister for Environment and Rural Development and then I was more focused on climate change and how we can reverse this trend in this country. How we can educate the people and alert the people of the importance of climate change and for them to adapt to it. 

It’s a challenge that we are all facing. And particularly the people who are poor. 

We are at the beginning. And we have to really do as a government more of what we are doing now in terms of education, in terms of funding and implementing, in terms of making the international community more aware of the importance of working with us. 

You can’t clap with one hand, no. We have to clap with both hands. We have to really come together and do something about it.”