The Somali government was in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on a mission — to show the world its new face as a partner on climate change. The country attended the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP 27, with the largest delegation in its history — 70 delegates as opposed to six last year — and its first minister of environment and climate change.
The country is on the front lines of the climate crisis — currently facing a devastating drought. But despite the urgent need, the East African country has long struggled to access climate finance due to insecurity, inadequate government capacity, and massive debt load.
The country is working to strengthen its institutions and, in turn, receive greater climate financing to build resilience to extreme weather by preparing “the right systems that donors can trust,” Dr. Mohamed Osman Mohamoud, national economic adviser and member of the Somali National Economic Council, told Devex on the sidelines of COP 27.