The historical focus on humanitarian and emergency interventions in Somalia means that most international agencies have not had significant interventions in the area of the environment in the past. As part of the effort to correct this, UNDP is in the process of incorporating a portfolio on environment and energy in the country programme in recognition of the critical role environment and natural resources play for the people of Somalia.

The Recovery and Sustainable Livelihoods programme contributes to the UNDP Country Office goals of improving sustainable food security and economic opportunities for vulnerable and marginalised groups, and are aimed at ensuring communities are better prepared for disasters, are assisted by the existence of a basic legal framework on environment and natural resources management, and are more aware of and utilising a broader range of energy options.

Engagement in GEF and Environmental Conventions
Somalia urgently needs to address its myriad environmental challenges to safeguard livelihoods and promote sustainable development. Ratification of environmental conventions presents the best opportunity for Somalia to join the global community in this process, and to access technical and financial resources to develop and implement programmes and strategies to address these challenges. UNDP has been providing technical support towards accession to the key environmental conventions: Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). At present Somalia has acceded only to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

To enable the implementation of these conventions, UNDP has been helping the Ministry of Environment to work towards participating in the Global Environment Facility (GEF). GEF was established to fund developing country projects that have global environmental benefits. GEF projects, supported by UNEP, UNDP and the World Bank, help forge international cooperation and finance actions to address critical threats to the global environment in the areas of land degradation, biodiversity loss, climate change, depletion of the ozone layer and degradation of international waters.