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Ginger – getting to the root of the matter,
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Mental Health and Health Status of
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Promotion of smoking cessation in
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Towards Environmentally Sound Water Projects in
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BirdLife IBA Factsheet,
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International
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An
Ecological Assessment of the Coastal Plains of North Western Somalia
(Somaliland),
IUCN Eastern
Africa Programme
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Biodiversity Assessment Of The Northern
Somali Coast East Of Berbera, Michael H.
Schleyer,
Oceanographic Research Institute
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Somalia's
Degrading Environment
Causes and Effects of
Deforestation and
Hazardous Waste Dumping in Somalia
Source: Somali Centre for Water & Environment
An essay prepared for a PhD course of 'Environmental Systems
Analysis & Management' given by the Division of Industrial Ecology, KTH.
The essay is presented at a final seminar for the course, on 11-12 June
2001 in the division.

Abdullahi Elmi Mohamed B.Sc., M.Sc. Lic.Eng. Ph.D. Candidate at the Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), 100 44
Stockholm SWEDEN. E-mail: elmi@kth.se
1. INTRODUCTION
General
Environment [1] is increasingly becoming an important issue in the world
politics and global economy as well as people's life. Environmental
deterioration [2] is now a global issue - ecologically, economically,
politically [3] - that require global solution (Elliott, 1998). Today, the
most notable environmental problems in the world include global warming
leading to climate change, water pollution contributing to human health
problems, deforestation resulting desertification, destruction of species,
ozone depletion, increasing urban and industrial wastes, etc. Human
activity and life is changing the environment in ways, on scale, quite
unlike in any other era, making our common future [4] in jeopardy.
Environmental problems occur in the interaction between two complex
systems, the human-society system and the ecological system. However, to
preserve security [5], the entire human environment[6] is taken into
consideration (Graeger, 1996).
Large percentage of people's illness in poor countries is directly linked
to the pollution of their natural environment. Improved environment
resulting improved public health is therefore a clear element in the
struggle and the strategy of poverty eradication. In general terms,
population growth, economic development and growing inequality in income
all put greater pressure on the ecosystems. Moreover, poverty [7] and
political conflict, whish are the features of most developing countries,
also cause environmental damage. Environmental degradation increases the
poverty of those who are already poor especially in those parts of the
world where livelihoods and lives are closely dependent on natural
environment (Elliott, 1998). Globally, deforestation and illegal hazardous
waste dumping, among other abuses, are human conducts bankrupting natural
resources of future generations.
The Scope and the Purpose of the Paper
Somali is by no
means an exception in the above situation. There are substantial
challenges of environmental concerns in the country, which is far less
studied. The country suffers from almost all types of environmental
degradations. In one hand, Somalia is experiencing enormous environmental
problems, while on the other hand it is lacking both human and financial
resources as well as political stability to address these life affecting
issues. In view of these above-mentioned situations, the paper will
concentrate on describing and analyzing the subject in relation to
Somalia. It will particularly focus on legal and moral aspects of
deforestation and hazardous waste dumping in the country. The purpose of
the paper is to discuss and shed some light through analysis on
deforestation and illegal hazardous waste dumping in Somalia. As
methodology, literature and document review, information gathered from
relevant organizations was carried out.
Background to
Somalia
Located in the Horn
of Africa, adjacent to the Arabian Peninsula, Somalia is geographically
located in a very advantageous region, bordering both Indian Ocean and the
Red Sea. Country's land area is estimated to 637 660 km2. It shares
borders with Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
The modern history
of Somalia constitutes about 120 years (1880-2000): 80 years (1880-1960)
of colonial rule (Lewis, 1988) and division; 30 years (1960-1990) of
democratic but mostly military rule and; 10 years (1991-2001) of chaos and
State collapse. The widespread famine [8] in Somalia in 1992-93 caused by
low agricultural yield due to several years of droughts combined with
bloody civil war has resulted the largest UN humanitarian efforts and
peacekeeping operations in history. Despite being politically
disintegrated, Somali has culturally and ethnically homogenous society.
Poverty, which together with injustice is threatening the integrity of the
nation, is the major root of social conflict and cause of the current
political crisis in Somalia.
The country has an estimated population of about 9 million in 1995, of
which 75% in rural areas [9]. Rate of population growth is about 3%, while
Mogadishu is growing by a rate of 10% a year (World Bank, 1995).
Agriculture is the second traditional occupation for most Somalis, after
nomadic livestock [10] grazing/raising. Livestock and banana export is
country's two principal revenue generating sectors. Somalia has one of the
lowest human development index (HDI) in the world.
Physical
Environment
Most of the country
is typically sparse savanna with few forested areas. According to the
World Band, 55% of Somalia's land area is suitable for grazing, while the
FAO estimate is lower, 29%, but still shows the greater for livestock
production. Official estimates of Somalia's forest cover refer to 52,000
hectares of "dense" forest and 5.7 million hectares of "low density wood"
(Somalia, 1987, ch. 7), this means that 9% of the total land is low
density woodland - savanna woodlands. This is to indicate country's
limited amount of wood resources, which mainly consist of Acacias trees.
On the other hand, Somalia has the longest coastline of Africa, which
stretches a distance of about 3300 km in both the Indian Ocean and the Red
Sea. The long coastline is of importance chiefly permitting trade with the
Middle East and the rest of East Africa.
Historical and
Ongoing Country's Environmental Concerns
Somalia is currently
experiencing almost all types of environmental concerns, both natural and
man-made.
Natural Environmental Problems:
Indicating the level of water scarcity, rainfall is very low (250 mm/y)
and variable, while the potential evaporation is extremely very high (over
2000 mm/y). Droughts that occur very frequent are naturally caused by
climate. It leads to water shortage and starvation particularly for the
rural communities, which are more dependent on rainwater and grass for
their survival in livestock raising and cultivation traditions. Being a
natural disaster, drought causes loss of life both human and animal every
year in Somalia. Deadly droughts is often followed by devastating floods,
another natural disaster, which mainly severely affects southern part of
the country, where the two rivers, the Juba and the Shabelle, flow. These
recurrent drought and severe floods affect the lives of the people and
their animals without prediction and prevention.
Man-made Environmental Problems:
Human-induced environmental abuses include: water pollution contributing
to human health problems; alarming deforestation and overgrazing resulting
desertification and soil erosion; salinisation by inefficient irrigation
destroying valuable productive land; illegal fishing and industrial toxic
waste dumping in the sea and coastline areas by outsiders; improper
disposal of human and solid waste by local people affecting the public
health; hunting and extinction of wildlife; and degradation of coastal
zones. Increasing population living along the coastline put a significant
pressure on coastal aquifers for freshwater supply. Vast marine resources
are under unprecedented threat from overexploitation and pollution by
outsiders.
No Environmental
Agency Ever Established:
Despite of these major concerns, no central (governmental) coordinating
body charged with environmental protection exist, even prior to the
collapse of the state in 1991. However, several ministries and state
agencies were concerned with protection and management of the environment
as part of their function during the period before the civil war. National
Parks Agency was established in 1970 for the purpose of establishing parks
and reserve area. There was no however a single protected area listed in
the country as late as 1991 (UNEP, 1993). The National Range Agency,
founded in 1976, was empowered, inter alia, to establish grazing and
drought reserves, and to prevent and control soil erosion on the range.
Among the limited range of concrete steps taken was the prohibition in
1969 of charcoal and firewood export, in order to protect trees. This was
amended in 1972 to give a monopoly of charcoal exports to the National
Commercial Agency [11]. Prior to the state collapse, the Ministry of
Fisheries and Marine Resources, founded in 1977, was responsible for
prevention pollution of the sea. However, the capacity to control the long
coastline was always lacking and no control of pollution has even existed.
2. DEFORESTATION
in Somalia
Deforestation -
The Result of Charcoal
Charcoal [12] plays
an important role in both the energy sectors and the economies of most
African countries. Charcoal making provides a considerable amount of
employment in rural areas; it also allows for a quick return on
investments. However, the inefficiencies inherent to the production and
use of charcoal place a heavy strain on local wood resources, resulting
severe environmental consequences. In many parts of the world, the use of
charcoal has been blamed for deforestation [13]. Deforestation in the
drier parts of Africa has led to an even worse problem - desertification
and the loss of thousands of species. Deforestation is the product of the
interaction of many environmental, social, political, economic and
cultural forces at work in any given region.
SOMALIA -
Deforested Country
During the last
several years, a new type of business was introduced in Somalia. Cutting
of trees to produce charcoal for export to the Gulf States has become a
big business with considerable profits. In order to optimize the
operation, local businessmen introduced a new technology - battery-powered
chain saws for cutting of the forests. Trees are cut down, burn and
brought by trucks for export from major ports in the country, particularly
Mogadishu, Kismayo and Bosaso (BBC, 2000; and local newspapers) [14].
Becoming Somalia's black gold, traders earn about $US million per ship (IRIN,
2000). Most of the charcoal is made in southern Somalia, while northern
and eastern regions also experience the same problem but to a lesser
extent. More than 80% of the trees used for charcoal are types of Acacia,
the most dominant species (IRIN, 2000). Due to absence of government,
there is no documentation of the volumes being exported or the amount of
trees being cut down.
 |
Causes Behind the
Conduct
The alarming rate of
deforestation has a number of combined causes behind it. It is evident
that it is largely a combination of human activities and social
conditions.
Charcoal for
Urban and Firewood for Rural:
Somalia has the lowest consumption of modern forms of energy in the
Sub-Saharan Africa[15]. Firewood and charcoal are the major sources of
energy for the majority of the people in Somalia. As a result of this, the
removal of trees in Somalia is steadily increasing, following demographic
trends, which are reversing the traditional Somali nomadic way of life, as
well as other social crisis. As their source of energy, rural people rely
on firewood while urban inhabitants use charcoal. Mogadishu's charcoal
supply comes mainly from the south. In rural areas, strong link between
poverty and deforestation exist. Like other countries in Sub-Sahara
Africa, Somalia is presently, as well as in the past, suffering from
energy problems. Power and fuels cut-off have been frequent in all urban
centers, access to electricity have also been poor or unreliable, if not
absent.
Potential Energy
Resources - Un-exploited Sources:
Yet Somalia is rich in energy resources, having un-exploited reserves of
oil and natural gas, untapped hydropower, extensive geothermal energy
resources, many promising wind sites, and abundant sunshine, which can
produce solar power. Despite all these, traditional biomass fuels - mainly
firewood and charcoal, the smoky and inefficient fuels of the poor -
account for 82% of the country's total energy consumption (Makakis, 1998
p.74). Technically, it would not be problem to develop these potentially
available energy resources. Major obstacles are today political, financial
and institutional.
Foreign Demand
for Charcoal - the Major Driving Force:
Traditionally, the making of charcoal was limited to a small group of
cutters who used hand axes and responded to an internal and very localized
demand, which during the last several years started to increase. In spite
of increases in local consumption, foreign demand for charcoal puts
unprecedented pressure on locally limited wood resources. Taking full
advantage of country's lawless condition, interest-driven local
businessmen[16] with commercial links in the Gulf countries export
tremendous amount of charcoal to mainly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates. Charcoal from dry land in poor Somalia is used in the houses of
the Gulf countries as luxurious.
Lack of Government - An Opportunity for Outsiders:
Being without government since 1991 when the former regime was overthrown,
Somalia is the only country in modern history of the world which lacked
central government so long[17]. Since then the country is ruled by a
series of rival warlords each holding a small territory of the country.
This created a condition which the country became stateless vulnerable for
anyone's exploitation particularly outsiders and local
self-interest-driven individuals. This lack of functional system of
government and control facilitated these individuals to run these
unsustainable business activities damaging local natural environment. Lack
of government in Somalia could therefore be seen as the major cause of the
ongoing deforestation.
The Issue of Land
- Legal Perspectives:
Institutional arrangement that specify rules, rights and obligation for
the use of natural resources are called property rights regimes [18]
(Bromley, 1991; Hanna, 1999). During the rule of the last regime
(1969-1991), government have tended to try to increase their control in
land previously owned collectively by the communities in the rural areas.
This was done through shifting the land-ownership from communal to state
in pursuit of revenues. By the 1975 Land Law, all land in Somalia is
nationalized. The new Law demands mandatory land registration which
traditional landholders resisted. Consequently this has progressively
limited local rights rather than supported. As the state authorities
lacked capacities to manage and control the nationalized land, this
legislation (of making the land a state property) made the land no man's
land with open-access type of property-rights regime [19]. The effect of
that 1975 Land Law is therefore highly relevant for the ongoing land
degradation. After the state collapse in 1991, the result became the
creation of 'ownerless' land with open-access to anyone's exploitation
which accelerated, among other abuses, the rate of deforestation. The land
property which the state of Somalia had claimed as its own and which the
rulers had exploited during the military regime now became fair game for
the new power brokers. Now as the people increase dramatically and some of
the land naturally and antropogenically became degraded, new land with
life-supporting-resource are required. Struggle for such a land thus
became one of the major sources of the present conflic [20]. Common
resources, such as forest, which is free and open for all, tend to be
vulnerable to depletion and degradation due to overuse and misuse, this is
commonly referred to as "the tragedy of commons" (Hardin, 1968).
Adverse
Environmental Consequences of Deforestation
The illegal removal
of trees in Somalia to produce charcoal for export is an action destroying
the common national capital, which the society does not benefit. Although
public awareness of the impact of the deforestation in Somalia has
increased in recent years through media, it has not slowed the alarming
rate of deforestation appreciably. As a result of deforestation, land
suitable for grazing is destroyed. This will inevitably affect the nomadic
communities who entirely depend on grazing. The most visible results of
this action are desertification, soil erosion, and general environmental
degradation. The highest price will be the long-term effect in
desertification [21] .
The valuable role of trees in controlling runoff and water and the
positive interaction of acacias with crops and animals are reasons why
much more emphasis needs to be given to the forest protection.
Deforestation will have major adverse impacts on rainfall availability,
capacity of the soil to hold water, local climate, and habitat for animal
species and bio-diversity. Basically, humans abandon areas that have been
cleared, particularly when the community is nomadic depending on grazing
for their animals. All these will finally collectively affect the
livelihood and socio-economic aspect of the society.
In addition to environmental impacts, deforestation as an
income-generating activity also causes internal dispute and conflict
within the society. In 1997, actions taken by local chiefs and clan elders
in areas in central Somalia who tried to prohibit charcoal cutting led to
conflict, that resulted loss of life (IRIN, 2000).
3. ILLEGAL
HAZARDOUS WASTE DUMPING in Somalia
Hazardous Waste
and Illegal Dumping
World's chemical
industries and nuclear energy plants[22] have already generated millions
of tons of hazardous wastes[23]. Industrialized countries generate over
90% of the world's hazardous wastes (WCED, 1987). The high growth of
industries in developed countries was accompanied by an equally high
increase in the production of toxic hazardous wastes. But the
technological capacity to handle these by-products - wastes, was not
developing by the same level. This is the reason why problem of these
wastes, particularly nuclear wastes, still remains unsolved. Taking
advantage of political instability and high level of corruption but lured
by the potential financial gains, poor African nations [24] have been used
as the dumping sites for hazardous toxic waste materials from developed
countries. In some cases, the income generated from this trade, of
importing hazardous waste from the West, have exceeded the GNP of many
poor countries. Poverty is the reason of accepting importation of toxic
wastes [25] . Bearing the cost of the damage caused by the hazardous
wastes, Africa disbenefit the entire attempt of generating revenue to
alleviate poverty. This do-or-die method become an alternative solution to
the desperate search for revenue for some African countries, which are
ill-equipped to dispose these health and environment threatening wastes.
Both the exporting and importing counterparts violated international
treaties to which most countries in the world are signatories.
SOMALIA - World's
Most Attractive Illegal Hazardous Waste Dumping Site
During the Somali
civil war, hazardous wastes were dumped in industrialized countries. In
the fall of 1992 reports began to appear in the international media
concerning unnamed European firms that were illegally dumping hazardous
waste in Somalia [26]. What caused controversy in 1992 were reports of a
contract established by European firms with local warlords. The alleged
perpetrators were Italian [27] and Swiss firms who entered contracts with
Somali warlords and businessmen to dump waste in the country.
Investigations by
the UNEP
In a news release statement (Tolba, 1992) by then executive director
of the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) situated in Nairobi,
Dr. Mustafa Kamal Tolba, it became apparent that the European firms was
disposing a hazardous waste in Somalia. The UNEP started to investigate
the matter five years later in 1997 and hired Mahdi Geddi Qayad[28] as a
team leader (for a period of one month) to carry a field investigation in
many areas of Somalia particularly coastal zones. The outcome of the
investigation (a report) was not published but an Italian newspaper has
succeeded to receive a copy of the report.
Familgia
Cristiana - an Italian Newspaper
Familgia Cristiana - an Italian Newspaper, has published several
articles about the issue during 1998 (Familgia Cristiana, 1998). Based on
the UNEP investigations as well as its own investigation, the newspaper
gave relatively a detailed description. Familgia Cristiana (1998c) showed
a map over the country particularly areas where wastes have been dumped
and pictures taken from places where signs of the dumping could still be
seen. According to the newspaper, waste dumping concentrated both in
coastal zones and inland areas. Naming several individuals both Somalis
and foreigners who involved in the waste transport, the newspaper
disclosed many secrets in the business both in terms of deals made and
health impacts on local people. In an $80 million contract in late 1991,
two Swiss and Italian firms, Achair Partners and Progresso, would be
allowed by senior local politicians at the time to build a 10 million ton
storage facility for hazardous waste at the rate of 500 000 tons a year.
Although the major part of the waste dumping in Somalia occurred after the
state collapse in 1991, the activity has started even during the former
regime in 1989 (Familgia Cristiana, 1998d).
According to the newspaper, there are ongoing dumping activities inside
the country, and Mr. Halifa Omar Darameh of the UNEP said "our concerns
are the negative consequences that these dumping can cause in the
immediate future, and it is unfortunately impossible to safeguard a long
coastline of
3 300 km long".
Parliamentary
Report
In view of these serious waste dumping allegations against the Italian
and Swiss firms, the Italian Parliament demanded a study on the issue. A
commission has been established. The final report (produced in 2000) of
the parliamentary study said the so-called "Eco-Mafia"[29] run companies
dealing with 35 million tons of waste a year, making $US 6.6 million.
According to the report, radioactive waste from Italy dumped in Somalia
may have affected Italian soldiers based there with a UN force in the
mid-1990s. The report also disclosed that the Mafia controls about 30
percent of Italy's waste disposal companies, including toxic waste,
according to a parliamentary study.
Why Dumping in Somalia
Several European companies are engaged in the business of dumping
industrial and chemical wastes in Somalia. The relevant question is why is
it that waste-dealers and importers ignore the long-term effect and
obvious dangers associated with illegal dumping of toxic wastes in poor
countries. But the more relevant question is why dumping in Somalia?
Reasons that made Somalia world's most attractive waste dumping site are
many and below are the most likely ones:
 | Country's
political situation: Since 1991 Somalia is lacking a central government
that can safeguard its long coastlines and large territories. This seems
to be the most likely reason that attracted the waste-dealers to use
Somalia as a dumping site for the waste generated elsewhere.
|
 | The need to find
dumping site: Generally, there is a big problem of finding suitable
dumping sites within the countries generating these wastes, as there are
few areas left there. By finding a cheap site, the high costs of
recycling, incinerating and disposing in original country could be
avoided. According to a study by American University of Washington
(1996), the cost of disposing one ton of hazardous waste in their source
of generation was estimated to US$ 3000 and as low as US$ 5 in a
developing country [30].
|
 | Geographical
Location: Located in a very geographically central location, It is easy
to reach Somalia. This reduces the cost and the time of waste transport.
|
 | Low public
awareness about the dumping: During these years local people are in
civil war associated social problems, which made them busy in their life
affairs. Local media was not so effective. There were also fears of
talking about the issue in the media.
|
 | Local
self-interest individuals: It was easy to establish local contacts
(politicians and businessmen) who are ready to allow the dumping of
these toxic waste in their home country despite the long-term effects of
the dumping on the local people, in only exchange for a relatively
enormous amount of money in foreign currency, in a short period of time.
This facilitates the disposal process.
|
Negative
Environmental Consequences and Impacts on Related Issues
The effects of
hazardous wastes dumped improperly on both human and other environmental
components are inestimable. According to the newspaper (Familgia Cristiana,
1998), UNEP investigations and local people, the health effects so far
identified are enormous. These include (i) the death of fisherman in the
town of Brawe after opening a small container collected from the sea, (ii)
the death of several people living the along the coastline who drunk water
in a container, (iii) the increase of patients with cancer in Somalia,
which were related to the toxicity of the wastes dumped in the country. In
addition, a study made by an Algerian expert explained the link between
the recent years' increase in livestock's death and the toxic waste
dumping in the country. Dr. Pirko of the UNICEF said that the town of
Bardere experienced unknown disease that caused the death of 120 people
after suffering noise bleedings. This was also related to the toxicity.
Premature births that occurred were due to the high toxicity of the
dumpsite.
However, no research has been carried out on the existing and the
potential environmental and social impacts of the waste dumping. The
negative long-term impacts are expecting to be huge particularly pollution
of the groundwater and fish resources, which will inevitably affect the
overall public health and the entire socio-economy of the country.
International Legal Instruments of Hazardous Wastes
The issue of waste
dumping in Somalia is twofold in that it is both a moral and legal
questions. First, it is ethically questionable to dump a toxic waste [31]
in a very poor country in the midst of a protracted civil war with no
central government. Being against moral principles, these conducts are
beyond humanity and games played on the lives of innocent people. Second,
there is a violation of international law in the export of hazardous waste
to Somalia. Below are the international and regional laws regulating the
waste transport.
The Basel
Convention
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements [32] of
Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal is a broad and significant
international treaty on hazardous waste. It was adopted in 1989 and
entered into force on May 1992. The Basel Convention, ratified by 135
countries, is the response of the international communities to the
problems caused by the ever increasing toxic wastes which are hazardous to
people and the environment. Italy and Switzerland, whose private firms
have been accused to dump waste in Somalia, are parties to the Convention,
while Somalia is not. Regulating the transboundary movement of hazardous
wastes and providing obligation to its parties to ensure that such wastes
are disposed of in an environmentally sound manner, one of the main
principles of the Convention is that the hazardous waste should be treated
and disposed of as close as possible to their source of generation. In
addition, the Basel Convention urges that the generation and movement of
hazardous waste should be minimized.
OAU Ban on Waste
Transport
Equally important and with more regional significance was the voting of a
resolution by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to ban member
countries from accepting industrial waste products. Half of members of the
OAU are non-signatories of the Basel Convention. Despite the OAU's attempt
to ban such trade, member countries have violated the ban. The reasons for
doing so are based on economics; the need to generate substantial amounts
of revenue to alleviate the economic hardships faced by Africa.
4.
CONCLUSION
This paper gave an
overview of Somalia's degrading environment, particularly the ongoing
deforestation and illegal hazardous waste dumping during the last decade.
Since the state collapse in 1991, country's environmental degradation has
accelerated, especially the rate of deforestation has steadily accelerated
while toxic waste dumping became newly established business. Because of
the country's political condition and the lack of central system of
government, many foreign private companies, which are taking full
advantages of the lawlessness and lack of central government in Somalia,
started to either plunder or pollute country's natural resources. These
opportunistic activities started immediate after the state collapse. Both
deforestation and illegal toxic waste dumping in Somalia became evident
after the disintegration of the country into clan-based areas following
the overthrown the dictatorial military regime in 1991.
No research at any level has been conducted in Somalia, concerning the
deforestation as well as the hazardous waste dumping. Particularly, the
amount of waste dumped, the number of trees cut down and their
environmental social impacts. As deforestation will affect more than
forests, the remaining forest reserves need to be protected.
Charcoal export has become a big profitable business for local businessmen
and their clients in the Gulf countries, who deliberately take full
advantage of Somalia's lawless condition. The rate of deforestation in
many parts of Somalia is alarming. These deadly business activities run by
narrow-sighted self-interest individuals.
Taking Somalia as a case study, the paper indicates how poor countries in
the developing world became targets for the Eco-Mafia dealing with the
international traffic of toxic wastes generated in industrialized
countries. Searching for cheaper ways to get rid of the wastes, the
Eco-Mafia establishes local contacts especially irresponsible politicians
and self-interest businessmen. European private firms particularly Italian
and Swiss has been accused of illegally dumping hazardous wastes in
Somalia during the last decade. This illegal and immoral trade of charcoal
and waste dumping are done in the knowledge of what the consequences are
for the country. This is one of the worst things currently happening in
Somalia's natural environment and very high price for will be paid in the
future. Through illegally dumping toxic waste from industrialized
countries and foreign induced deforestation, Somalia's natural resources
of future generations are bankrupted and plundered for profit. These
merciless damages to Somali's natural environment are legally and morally
unacceptable.
These cases are just a few, which demonstrate the ineffectiveness of
global attempts to regulate an industry that overshadow its very hazardous
impacts. The lack of laws to protect the environment is nowhere as evident
as in Somalia.
Apart from charcoal and hazardous waste dumping; illegal fishing,
merciless hunting, water pollution, are all environmental abuses that have
gone unchecked in Somalia for over a decade. The threat and damage done to
Somalia's environment will not receive the attention it merits as long as
peace and political stability remain the main life-threatening conditions
in the country. In its totality, the damage done to Somalia's natural
environment is unimaginable and seems unmanageable even long after a
solution is found for the current difficult prolonged political crisis.
Magnitude of water and environmental crisis and problems facing Somalia
during this newly began century is unprecedented. The protection of
Somalia's coastal zones from hazardous waste dumping and land from
deforestation requires technological and organizational capacity as well
as political stability sadly lacking in the country.
In terms of international law and moral principles, illegal dumping of
hazardous waste is crime, particularly in areas where wastes are not
originated and in poor people's land. As over-exploitation, misuse,
destruction and pollution of natural resources are transgression against
human existence and their natural environment, international as well as
regional legal instruments regulating the illegal waste dumping are in
place. Somalia has the legal right to be compensated what ever damage
which the waste dumping and foreign-driven deforestation caused to the
country.
Source: Somali Centre for Water & Environment

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