climate

Latest situation Conditions in Gauteng are expected to improve after a period of severe weather that disrupted services and response efforts. The latest forecast now calls for only scattered showers across the province. Weather models show a reduction in storm intensity, moving from widespread severe conditions to isolated showers. Authorities report that the earlier severe weather slowed emergency and repair responses in affected areas. Power restoration work is underway in some neighbourhoods where outages occurred…

A new front in the climate battle: defending truth at COP30 Belem’s humid air this week carried more than the tang of the Amazon. At the UN Pavilion during COP30, delegates and activists gathered to talk emissions, finance and loss and damage — but one of the loudest pleas came from an unexpected corner: the newsroom. Omar Faruk Osman, secretary general of the National Union of Somali Journalists, used a high-level UNESCO panel to argue that the integrity of information is now a frontline issue for climate action. The…

In Mogadishu, a conversation about heat, water and peace MOGADISHU — Under the late-morning sun that bakes the coastal capital, diplomats, government ministers, peacebuilders and community activists gathered in a hotel ballroom that has seen its share of history. The occasion was modest by international standards — a one-day “Climate Talk” convened by the German Embassy — but the setting and the stakes were unmistakable: in Somalia, where climate shocks and political fragility intersect, even a discussion can be an act of…

Somalia’s Climate Fight Is Also a Battle for Peace — and for Fair Finance On a recent morning along Somalia’s Shabelle River, neighbors climbed onto rooftops clutching documents and schoolbooks as floodwaters surged through villages already battered by years of conflict. It was a scene that has become uncomfortably familiar across the country: people surviving one disaster only to be driven into another. The number of internally displaced people in Somalia has now surpassed 3.8 million — a figure that captures not just the…

Somalia’s plea in Addis Ababa: climate justice is not charity, it’s survival At a summit meant to elevate Africa’s voice on climate, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud delivered a blunt reminder: the continent is being asked to decarbonize while still paying the price for emissions it did not cause. His appeal — for scaled-up finance, clearer delivery mechanisms and a rapid transition from pledges to payouts — was not a diplomatic flourish. It was a survival plan for a country that has endured back-to-back climate…

Somalia’s president brings a climate plea to Addis Ababa as Africa seeks a united front ADDIS ABABA — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Ethiopia’s capital on Sunday as leaders from across Africa convened for the second Africa Climate Summit, a gathering that has shifted in recent years from platitudes to a sharpened insistence: poor nations deserve more money, and faster, to cope with climate shocks. Mohamud was greeted at Bole International Airport by senior Ethiopian officials and joined other high-level…

Somalia's Pioneering Climate Fund: A Beacon for Resilience in a Changing World In the bustling heart of Mogadishu, a significant milestone was set as Somalia launched its first National Climate Fund. Over two days, this transformative initiative was etched into the narrative of a nation that has long been at the frontlines of climate adversity. A Bold Step Towards Climate Resilience Under the guidance of Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh, this fund emerges as a key strategy to tackle the mounting pressures of recurring…

Somalia’s Bold Step Towards Climate Resilience Amidst the harsh realities of droughts and floods, Somalia is taking a decisive leap towards combating climate change with the launch of the Somali Climate Finance Trial and the National Climate Fund (NCF). These initiatives aim to mobilize and effectively manage climate finance, crucial for a nation facing severe environmental challenges. A Collaborative Inception In late August, Mogadishu hosted the National Inception Workshop, drawing over 60 key players across…

Voices from Khar Yalla: The Plight of Displaced Communities in Senegal In the coastal community of Khar Yalla, Senegal, the comforting rhythm of waves has been replaced by the echoes of despair. Displaced by relentless coastal flooding, the residents have been thrust into a harsh existence in a makeshift settlement, where the pillars of human dignity struggle under the weight of neglect. A recent report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) underscores the urgency of this crisis, revealing a reality that is all too often brushed…

As nations find themselves in a stalemate at the ongoing UN climate talks, there are rising hopes that the G20 leaders gathering thousands of miles away may spark vital support for a resolution aimed at aiding developing nations. Stranded halfway through a two-week-long negotiation period housed in a vast arena in Azerbaijan, diplomats are struggling to inch closer to an agreement that could ultimately decide the fate of COP29. The government ministers diving into discussions in Baku are racing against the clock, with a…