World Environment Day is celebrated every year on 5th June to raise global awareness to take positive environmental action to protect nature and the planet earth. The World Environment day has been started celebrating as an annual event on 5th of June since 1973 at the Stockholm conference, Sweden and then started celebrating annually at global level.
The Theme of this year is “time for Nature”,’ with a focus on its role in providing the essential infrastructure that supports life on Earth and human development. Greenwatch Trust celebrates World Environment Day since it was established, to engage governments, businesses, and citizens to focus their efforts on a pressing environmental issue. Millions of people have taken part around the globe over the years, helping drive change in our consumption habits as well as in national and international environmental policy.
Greenwatch Trust with the support of the Somali Water Partnership observed World Environment Day under the MADASHA DEEGAAN platform by organizing a webinar a virtual platform of Zoom on Friday, June 05, 2020. The Forum was attended by more than 65 participants, mainly were students, representatives of civil society organizations across the country as well as government institutions.
The following were the keynote speakers and panellists:
- Prof Ahmed Mumin Warfa, PhD, Taxonomist. Utah, USA
- Ahmed Ibrahim Awale, Lecturer, Researcher, Somaliland Biodiversity foundation, Hargeisa University , Hargeisa, Somalia.
- Asli Duale, Chair woman Somali Water Partnership, Mogadishu, Somalia
- Mohamed Hussein, Executive Director At Greenwatch Trust. Mogadishu, Somalia.
PROCEEDING
The Webinar commenced with the welcome and introduction by Mohamed Shakir who was moderator of the MADASHA DEEGAAN, he explained about the forum and he welcomed the participants and keynote speakers. First he welcomed Mohamed Hussein the Executive director of Greenwatch Trut.
Mohamed Hussein talked briefly about greenwatch trust’s activities and the importance of the wolrd environemnt day, he highlited hosting such kind of debates on environemnt is greatly required to raise the awareness of the community on environemnt.
Asli Duale, the chiarperson of the Somali Water Partnership, has followed and talked deeply about the impact of the environment in Somalia, Asli highlited the importance of the environmental conservation and water. She also welcomed the guest speakers.
After the keynote speakers, the Moderator has given the mic to the guest speaker.
Prof Ahmed Warfa who is the expert in biodiversity in Somalia and Author on many articles related to the topic. Prof. Warfa has mentioned the extinction of certain plant species that happening in Somalia. He urged the youth to stand up for the protecting the environment and connect to the nature, he talked about his publications on flora and fauna in Somalia.
Ahmed Ibrahim Awale has presented Introduction to Biodiversity , he talked about how the desertification caused the loss of biodiversity in our country, during his presentation he mentioned that they established Somaliland Biodiversity Foundation in Hargeisa, which is the main collector of species data on biodiversity that available in the country, he added that the foundation publishes monthly newsletter which is free and available in their website, Mr. Awale has surprised the audience on his first experiment on Boab seedlings (Yaaq) has successfully grown in his farm in Hargeisa, he concluded that growing a Boab tree that could live longer a thousand year was a dream that has came true.
CONCLUSION
The Programme has been participated various national level working organizations, civil societies as well as institutional levels. Greenwatch Trust organization has initiated the invitation of experts, for instance Ahmed Ibrahim Awale who is an author, lecturer and senior researcher for the Environment and its related wellbeing, the organization has also invited Prof, Ahmed Mumin Warfa who is an author, lecturer and Botanical researcher, furthermore the institution had got an opportunity to invite Asli Duale who is chairperson of Somali water partnership she also recognized for her persistent struggle for water and environmental conservation and she has addressed water and its related campaigns on several occasions.
In this episode MADASHA DEEGAAN hosted an outstanding number of audience who are majority young and energetic Environmentalists and other civil societies. The guest of honours also took turn to encourage participants to be environmentally friendly, giving highlights on the importance of the World Environment Day celebration and the need for a holistic thinking while relating with the environment in addition they highlighted the importance of environment in the context in particularly Somalia, they have also explained deeply shaping the Environmental situation in Somalia and how youth can be fruitful.
The forum had a question and answer session where by the audience benefited a lot and appreciated. Finally the guest of honours suggested numerous way forward approaches which are so rich and full of sustainable ideas that can be inherited for daily bases and future wellbeing of Environment ,the main objective of the forum to raise awareness towards importance and benefits of environmental conservation, various core and knowledge has been exchange and ideas has been inherited. Nevertheless appreciation came across all the audience and the guest of honour towards organizing the important platform and the forum has ended with cheerful and excitements