Maydi Newsletter: July 2026

Hello and welcome to this month’s newsletter!

Welcome to this month’s edition of the Maydi Newsletter—your trusted source for the latest on sustainability in the Somali Horn. In this issue, we’re excited to share recent events, the latest news in the region and upcoming initiatives.

We also delve into key topics, including strategies for navigating climate finance and the pressing impact of forest loss in Somalia.

Thank you, as always, for reading!

S4S News

🌱 Green Skills for a Greener Future 🌍

On the 25th of June we were proud to host our very first collaboration event with Westminster City Council (WWC), as part of this year’s London Climate Action Week, in showcasing their Green Skills Innovation Centre (GSIC). It is a training hub equipping Londoners with the practical skills needed to access growing opportunities in the green construction and engineering sector. The ambition of the council’s centre is to tackle inequality and empower people with the knowledge and expertise to thrive in the green economy through free or low-cost green skills courses. 

With the event held in Westminster City Hall, we began with a presentation from the leader of the centre Andrea Butnaru, based on what opportunities for upskilling and accreditation programmes the GSIC offers to would-be enrolees, which was then followed by hearing a personal testimony from a learner within the GSIC on how it helped her make the transition to a career within the sustainability sector. The main segment of the event was centred on an interactive roundtable discussion, pairing groups of attendees with senior members of Westminster City Council’s environment team, with the goal to produce solutions to a range of carefully curated themes concerning Westminster City’s Council’s sustainability works.

The outcomes and solutions from the roundtable discussions to their respective prompts were quite fruitful, guided and appropriately framed by the working experience of seasoned environmental professionals within the council. A similarity in their proposals amongst the diverse groups were the need for WCC to really put a lot of resources and manpower into more effective communication strategies that better engages residents where they are at in their respective communities across the borough. Successful sustainability polices rely just as much on awareness as it does on technical substance and improvement. 

Attendees walked away from this event benefitting from not just a better understanding of the free or low-cost training and courses in green skills that the GSIC has on offer, but also by hearing personal insights into the very workings and policy concerns that the council’s environment team faces in delivering on their sustainability agenda within a metropolis such as London. The event closed with a spirited networking session.

Also a heads up from Westminster City Council, their Westminster Apprenticeships are back! They’re recruiting for their September 2026 Apprenticeship Programme. Whether you're starting out, changing careers or exploring your options, all are welcome to apply. Check out the council’s respective website and social media accounts for more details and updates.

What is the latest in the Horn?

Progress towards protecting 30% of nature by 2030:

Somalia has strengthened its commitment to the global 30×30 biodiversity target by establishing a Target 3 Coordination Unit within the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The unit will coordinate conservation planning, protected-area data collection and national reporting while helping identify priority landscapes and marine areas for protection. The initiative also trained more than 40 representatives from federal and state institutions and civil society in natural-resource management, biodiversity safeguards, environmental impact assessments and protected-area governance. 

For Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa, this initiative could strengthen the protection of shared ecosystems, including rangelands, river corridors, coastlines, mangroves and marine habitats. Better conservation planning may help reduce land degradation, protect biodiversity and sustain the natural resources on which pastoralists, farmers and fishing communities depend. It could also support climate-resilient livelihoods and reduce competition over increasingly scarce resources. However, these benefits will depend on effective implementation, funding and meaningful community participation.

🌍 Building Resilience for Somalia’s Future 🌱

The Federal Government of Somalia and UNDP launched a new Country Programme for 2026–2030, outlining approximately US$306.7 million in planned development cooperation. Environment and climate resilience form one of the programme’s four priority areas, alongside governance, economic transformation and social development. Building on earlier initiatives—including a national early-warning system that has delivered climate alerts to more than 525,000 farmers and pastoralists, the programme aims to strengthen Somalia’s resilience to droughts, floods and other climate-related pressures. 

The new programme could help Somali communities become better prepared for droughts, floods and other climate-related shocks by strengthening early-warning systems, resilient livelihoods and public institutions. For farmers and pastoralists, earlier climate information can support decisions about planting, water use and livestock movement. More broadly, the programme could contribute to greater economic security, reduce climate-related displacement and strengthen regional resilience. The full impact will depend on how the planned funding is distributed and translated into practical community-level projects.

Word of the Month: Badbaadin (Bad-baa-deen) Safeguarding 

Badbaadin means safeguarding or protecting something from harm. In sustainability, it reflects our responsibility to protect communities, livelihoods and natural ecosystems from environmental degradation and climate change.

Somalia’s progress towards the global 30×30 target is one example of badbaadin in action. A new Target 3 Coordination Unit will support conservation planning, protected-area governance and efforts to safeguard the country’s rangelands, rivers, coastlines and marine ecosystems.

Protecting these natural resources also protects the farmers, pastoralists and fishing communities whose livelihoods depend on them.

🗣️Upcoming events/ news:

Join Somalis for Sustainability in collaboration  with Yasmin Mohamed founder of  @dryland.solutions for our first webinar of 2026!  Join us while we explore, discuss and reflect on the role of nature in tackling environmental challenges, with a specific focus on Somalia as the context!  We will also touch on the role of the community, including the diaspora, in supporting restoration efforts. 

  🗓️Date: Thursday,  August 12th 

⏰ Time: London: 6:00-6:45 PM BST

Mogadishu: 8:00-8:45 PM EAT

Toronto: 1:00-1:45 PM EDT

Stockholm: 7:00-7:45 PM CEST

📍Location: Online event , register here

We’re excited to host our first-ever sustainability conference in the United States! Join @somalisforsustainability, @somalihealthboard, @ssp_seattle, @cimilo.caafimaad and @uwglobalchange for Global Health and Sustainability: Building Resilience in the Diaspora. This day-long conference will explore the intersections of public health, sustainability and environmental justice through interactive workshops and engaging discussions with speakers and community leaders.

✨ This event is free, but space is limited, RSVP here to reserve your spot! 

  🗓️Date: Saturday,  August 22nd 

⏰Time: 10:00 AM  - 5:00 PM 

📍Location: The Hans Rosling Center for Population Health Seattle, WA 

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