Mogadishu – Somalia is at the forefront of countries dealing with the impact of climate change.
Droughts and devastating flooding are among the most visible consequences, but the impact goes much deeper: these climate events threaten livelihoods and aggravate already-severe security and humanitarian challenges.
As Somalis deal with rebuilding their country after decades of conflict and civil strife, persuading them to focus on climate change and what it means for Somalia’s future is no easy feat.
Not so for Abdishakur Abdirahman Mohamud ‘Daaha.’
“Communicating climate change is easy if done correctly,” says the 27-year-old who has become of Somalia’s most promising journalists covering the country’s environment, as well as a climate change educator and activist.
“Effective story-telling can simplify complex climate jargon and statistics, and make the issues easier to understand and build greater public engagement with the challenges, but also the solutions,” he adds.
Building on his success, he founded Daaha Media in January this year, an online platform dedicated to covering and amplifying climate and environment stories from Somalia and beyond.
But the online news platform is just one of many environment-related strings to Mr. Mohamud’s bow.
His past roles include serving on various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) focused on the environment and, currently, Mr. Mohamud heads the environment department at RAAS Agribusiness Solution, an agricultural firm.
Environmental beginnings
Mr. Mohamud’s environmental journey began early in life. Born in Mogadishu in 1997, he began his education at Suweys Primary School in 2008, completing it in 2014. He then attended Suweys Secondary School from 2014 to 2018.
Already, he was showing signs of activism.
“I began my environmental and climate change activism during my primary and secondary school years,” Mr. Mohamud says. “I would mobilise my friends and students to plant trees and clean up the environment.”
The environment interest influenced his subsequent study. After high school, he continued his education at Somali National University (SNU), pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and environmental science.
During his undergraduate studies, Mr. Mohamud’s activism continued.
“I organised my classmates and other students at SNU to help clean Lido Beach. We picked up plastic bags, bottles, and other litter left behind,” he says. “I think many people need more education and awareness about keeping the environment clean.”
While a student and activist, Mr. Mohamud also tried his hand at inventing.
Somalia has a major environmental problem with deforestation across Somalia – he became critical of the widespread practice of chopping down trees for charcoal.
“My aim at the time was to reduce reliance on charcoal and combat deforestation in Somalia. In one of my course units – Energy and Environment – for my degree at the SNU, we were taught about biogas technology. While the course was theoretical, I dedicated my time to creating a practical biogas system using cow dung. And within a month in 2021, I succeeded!” Mr. Mohamud says.
The biogas system he developed did not achieve commercial success, partly due to a lack of investor funding to produce sufficient units, but it reinforced his drive and commitment to tackling environmental challenges in Somalia.
Mr. Mohamud graduated in 2023. He soon found work as an environmental journalist for Radio Deegaan and Yeel Media, two small and growing Somali news outlets.
Career path
As an environmental journalist, Mr. Mohamud’s focus has been on telling the story of regular Somalis coping with and responding to the climate crisis – always searching for a human angle that people can relate to and empathize with.
“Climate change is not just a scientific or environmental issue. It is personal,” he says. “It affects communities, livelihoods, and the future of generations.”
Within a short period, Mr. Mohamud was recognized for his efforts. He was promoted to the role of producer/editor and, in November 2023, one of his climate change stories – a five-minute video feature on the impacts of climate change on IDPs in Mogadishu – earned the top spot in a competition organized by BBC Media Action, the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) international charity arm.
“Farmers and pastoralists who were once self-dependent have now become dependent on NGOs and international aid. My story – which won the first place in the BBC Media Action Climate Storytelling Competition last year – focused on the real-life experiences of farmers and pastoralists in rural Somalia who are grappling with the effects of drought and changing weather patterns. They then came to Mogadishu as IDPs to seek help,” Mr. Mohamud says.
“Somalis live the reality of climate change – I highlighted the resilience of these communities displaced by the climate change crisis, as well as the innovative local strategies they are using to cope with the challenges,” he adds.
“It shed light on issues often overlooked by the international media,” he continues, “and contributed to changing the perception of Somalis being victims of climate change: it showed their strength, and helped to shift the current narrative on Somalia to a more positive and empowered one.”
Daaha Media
The BBC Media Action prize included top-quality camera equipment. But perhaps the more valuable element was the confidence it gave to Mr. Mohamud that his work was of worth and merit, and worth pursuing.
With this motivation in mind, he established Daaha Media, believed to be Somalia’s first and only news outlet dedicated to environmental and climate change coverage.
“Through engaging multimedia content, Daaha Media highlights pressing environmental challenges, showcases local and global sustainability efforts, and fosters awareness around climate action,” Mr. Mohamud says.
“The platform serves as a voice for change, inspiring communities to take part in the fight against climate change while promoting innovative solutions and environmental stewardship across the region,” he adds.
While it is early days and his audience is growing, Mr. Mohamud uses different social and traditional media channels to reach his intended audience – youth make up a large part of that audience with people under the age of 30 accounting for some 70 per cent of Somalia’s population.
As well, internet penetration in Somalia has been steadily growing over recent years in Somalia. According to digital reference website DataReportal, it stood at 27.6 per cent with 5.08 million internet users across the Horn of Africa country in 2024.
“I have many social media accounts. I believe X, Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram are essential tools for engaging youth and sharing real-time updates,” Mr. Mohamud says. “The wide range of social media channels helps generate high levels of engagement.”
For more in-depth storytelling, he relies on other media to get his reporting out. radio - an accessible and trusted medium in Somalia where some – and collaborates with TV stations and online news websites.
“This diverse media approach ensures my climate change stories reach both grassroots communities and international audiences,” he says. “I want to focus more on Daaha Media and create more content on climate change and the environment – I will use the power of storytelling to drive change and give a voice to the voiceless as they endure the climate crisis.”
Active activism
Mr. Mohamud has combined his journalistic endeavours with activism.
“Journalism informs and uncovers truths, fostering accountability. Activism transforms awareness into action, driving change and inspiring progress,” he says.
His past roles include serving as the Head of Advocacy and Community Engagement at Eco Hub Somalia, the country’s first environment-focused hub aiming to conserve natural resources; the Head of Training at Green Watch Trust, a group founded by citizens to help protect the environment; and Head of Media and Communications at the Somali Greenpeace Association.
“In these roles, I contributed to shaping environmental policy discussions. My primary focus was on communicating about climate change, whether through writing news articles, features, updating websites, or maintaining relations with journalists,” Mr. Mohamud says.
In 2023, he led the media campaign for the Mogadishu Environmental Summit, and was part of the team organizing the Somali Climate Change Summit in Mogadishu. At the latter, he presented a research paper, entitled ‘The Role of Media in Driving Environmental and Climate Action: A Case Study of Mogadishu, Somalia.’
“The summit fostered dialogue on environmental sustainability and showcased Somalia’s capacity for global climate action,” Mr. Mohamud says. “It was a real milestone in highlighting the transformative role of media in addressing climate challenges in Somalia and beyond.”
Mr. Mohamud’s activism has seen him conduct training workshops for government officials, the private sector, other journalists and NGOs, and university students.
“I have conducted environmental and climate education programs aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of sustainable practices, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience,” he says. “My goal is to build local capacity to address environmental challenges while fostering a deeper connection between the community and their natural surroundings.”
“Journalists and media professionals learned how to create stories and report on environmental and climate change issues in Somalia. We covered climate science, its impacts on Somalia, and how to effectively report on these challenges,” he adds. “I also taught investigative journalism in environmental reporting, as well as responding to fake news, misinformation and disinformation, along with environmental ethics.”
International representation
Mr. Mohamud’s activism has seen him go abroad to represent his country in environmental fora. These include his participation in the 2021 Multistakeholder Pre-African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) in Ethiopia; his attendance at the 2023 Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) General Congress.
“Young people bring fresh ideas, energy, and a willingness to collaborate,” he says. “They are the ones who will own the future, and many are already stepping up to lead the change.”
His proudest moment, so far, was in December 2023, when he represented Somalia at the Youth Arab Camp in Muscat, Oman. There, he interacted with other young environmental leaders from across the Arab world to discuss climate action and social development.
“It was a privilege to exchange ideas with passionate peers from the region – we all share a common goal: to build a more sustainable and just future,” he recalls.
UN and climate change storytelling
According to the United Nations, communicating on climate change is about educating and mobilizing audiences to take action to confront the climate crisis. Everyone can play a part by raising their voice, sharing solutions, and advocating for change.
The world body encourages everyone to participate - whether by voicing their opinions, proposing effective solutions, or campaigning for change.
“To quote Paolo Coelho: ‘the power of storytelling is exactly this: to bridge the gap where everything else has crumbled.’ It gives an opportunity to express, the feel and to share, as well as building the bridge to the future hopes and the abilities to cope and adapt,” says the UN Climate Security and Environmental Advisor to Somalia, Christophe Hodder.
“It is essential in the process of bringing communities into that social contract with the government and its exactly the process to go through understanding and learning on the impacts and how to cope with climate shocks,” he adds. “It helps us to understand what is happening, the learn from those most impacted and to also hear about adaptive measures, coping strategies and traditional and local practices. It helps drive our approach and it is feedback and listening loop to ensure we are focusing on supporting the right areas.”
To assist with this, the UN has compiled useful tips for creating effective communication products. These include using authoritative scientific information, conveying the problem and the solutions, and mobilising action.
