SOMALIA / DROUGHT SOLHEIM VISIT

The head of the UN Environment Programme, Erik Solheim, visited Somalia Tuesday to assess the extent and impact of the prevailing drought on the environment and to discuss support for the new Somali government on other environmental issues, including the charcoal trade. UNSOM

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:42
• Production Date: 31 May 2017
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME - UNEP
• Subject Topical: ENVIRONMENT
• Geographic Subject: SOMALIA
• MAMS Id: 1897658
• Parent Id: 1897658
• Alternate Title: unifeed170531d

Description

STORY: SOMALIA / DROUGHT SOLHEIM VISIT
TRT: 2:42
SOURCE: UNSOM
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 30 MAY 2017, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, UN plane taxing
2. Med shot, Erik Solheim getting off the plane
3. Wide shot, journalists and cameramen at the press conference
4. Pan right, SRSG Keating and Erik Solheim arriving for the press conference
5. Med shot, SRSG Michael Keating and Erik Solheim
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Erik Solheim, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme:
“Environment is a very central issue to any Government and in particular it is central to Somalia because drought - like the one we witnessed here over the last few months - is linked to climate change, which is an environment issue, and is linked to the destruction of forests and the reduced water management and other environment issues in Somalia. So, assisting Somalia to get out of this will be very helpful for the economy and benefit the people of Somalia.”
7. Close up, cameramen
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Erik Solheim, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme:
“Last year in the entire world, there was more new energy coming into the global grid from solar and wind than from oil, gas and coal combined. So we are past the point of no return where we are rapidly moving into the age of solar and wind, and that is very good for the environment. But that’s also very good for your pockets because it’s cheaper.”
9. Wide shot, SRSG Michael Keating and Erik Solheim
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Keating, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia:
“Competition for natural resources, if it’s unregulated, can result in more conflict and more disputes, which in turn increases political instability. I think the connections between poor natural resource management and conflict are increasingly well understood. What is less clear is how good natural resource management can contribute to peace and stability. One of the things that we were discussing today was if you use water, you use energy and you use solar, in the correct way, you can contribute to stability and jobs and growth.”
11. Wide shot, SRSG Keating and Solheim leaving the press briefing

Storyline

The Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Erik Solheim, visited Somalia Tuesday (30 May) to assess the extent and impact of the prevailing drought on the environment and to discuss support for the new Somali government on other environmental issues, including the charcoal trade.

Solheim met with senior Somali federal government officials, including Prime Minister H.E. Hassan Khayre and Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed Guled.

Their discussions focused on a broad range of issues, including supporting initiatives by the Federal Government of Somalia in environmental conservation and use of renewable energy, to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Speaking to reporters in Mogadishu, Solheim said, “Environment is a very central issue to any Government and in particular it is central to Somalia because drought, as witnessed here over the last few months, is linked to climate change.”

He also noted that a reverse in widespread deforestation will be beneficial to the economy and the Somali people

“Equally critical,” Solheim emphasized, “is the need to tap into Somalia’s vast solar and wind energy resources, for the production of renewable energy.”

Another central theme of the discussions with Somali senior government officials was the manner in which the correct use of water and energy can contribute to stability, job creation, and economic growth.

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, Michael Keating, underscored the importance of natural resource management, which he said is central to conflict resolution, peace, stability and economic growth.

He said, “Competition for natural resources, if unregulated, can result in more conflict and more disputes, which in turn increase political instability.”

Keating added that “the connections between poor natural resource management and conflict are increasingly well understood. What is less clear is how good natural resource management can contribute to peace and stability.”

Concluding his visit, Solheim urged the federal government of Somalia to make environment conservation central to its agenda. He also pledged the support of United Nations Environment Programme to protect the country’s fish resources, through the support of initiatives aimed at ending illegal fishing by international vessels in Somalia’s waters.

This was Solheim’s first visit to Somalia, after his appointment as Executive Director of the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Programme in 2016.