Since the collapse of the central government, the illegal logging and deforestation in Somalia have expeditiously flourished. Since there was no longer a central government to regulate and control internal industries and exports, the charcoal trade has became the number one cash export to oil rich countries, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
The charcoal trade in Somalia takes a heavy toll on the acacia forests, as traders clear-cut entire swaths of forest for shipment to gulf states. According to American University study in 2007, “the process of turning cut wood into charcoal is also a rough, dirty process that pollutes the air, albeit in a very local fashion. While the impact on the global environment and global warming is negligible at best, the ramifications of the charcoal trade on the local environment and the livelihoods of Somalis are drastic.” The Study shows that in the year 2000, total charcoal production was estimated to be 112,000 metric tons and was estimated to rise to 150,000 metric tons by 2005. In our current estimate, that number is 1,650,000 metric tons per. Approximately 80% of this charcoal is destined for stoves in the Gulf States, while only 20% is for domestic consumption. Out of the 80% charcoal exported to the Gulf Countries, Saudi Arabia counties 80% of Somali Charcoal imports. This huge scale deforestation is leading to increased soil erosion, decreasing the amount of land useable for agriculture and grazing and pushing locals out of the areas as they become uninhabitable after charcoal traders clear all of the trees. www.sepan.org
