November 10, 2021 (MOGADISHU, Somalia): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) today inaugurated the National Validation Workshop on the Baseline Assessment Report of the Contribution of Blue Economy to the Sustainable Economic Development of Somalia.
Representatives from various ministries and institutions active in the Blue Economy (BE) sector in the Federal Republic of Somalia are attending this two-day workshop: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Focal person for BE, Ministry of Sea-ports, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism, Ministry of Petroleum, Environment Directorate, Ministry of Water and Energy and Coast Guards.
The workshop will capture contributions from the different sectors of Blue Economy for the national economic development of Somalia. The report will be updated through extensive group discussions and a thorough review of the document. The updated baseline report will serve as an input to develop the National Blue Economy Strategy for Somalia.
Speaking during the opening session, the IGAD Blue Economy Coordinator, Dr. Eshete Dejen, stated that, “Somalia has the longest coastline in Africa and is endowed with diverse aquatic resources. This resource is untapped, if well managed it will contribute to food/nutrition security and economic growth. However, the resource is threatened by Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. The Blue Economy approach will be key for Somalia to develop a sustainable economy and environment.”
He added that “Water pollution has become a very serious threat to sustainable, and balanced socio-economic growth and environmental protection in the IGAD region.”
“The cultural dependency on livestock products is at threat due to insecurity, environmental degradation, and global warming. Our Blue economy resources are exceptionally rich in development opportunities: support large and growing marine economies, that can provide sustainable livelihoods and food security for all our population” Deputy Director Africa department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. Abdinur Mohammed Salad said during the opening session.
The objectives of the workshop are:
- Review the draft baseline report and update the gaps
- Validation of baseline reports
- Creation of national BE platform
The expected outputs of the workshop are:
- Missed data/information filled
- The validated national report agreed by all sector organizations
- Input for Regional report
- Background document for validation of regional BE strategy
The national Blue Economy baseline reports of the IGAD Member States; were developed with financial support from the European Union. The national-level validation workshops are supported by the Project “Enhancing Blue Economy in the IGAD Coastal Member States for Biodiversity Conservations and Livelihood diversification” funded by the Government of Sweden.
