A severe drought in the region in the early part of the 21st century caused an 80% or greater loss of livestock, though two good rainy seasons in 2004–2005 helped restore the area. Over a 15-year period of analysis, from 1988–2003, there was a 52% loss of forest and a 40% loss of grassland, and a 370% increase in bare land. Soil erosion due to weather and human activities and clearing of wood and brush for such uses as charcoal and fuel are issues leading to degradation of the environment.

Background: Rhamis Kent is a consultant with formal training in mechanical engineering (University of Delaware, B.S.M.E. ’95) and permaculture-based regenerative whole systems design. He has previously worked for the renowned American inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen at DEKA R & D for almost 3 years, with subsequent engineering work ranging from medical device research and development to aerospace oriented mechanical design. After taking an interest in the design science of Permaculture, he sought extended training with permaculture expert and educator Geoff Lawton at the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia. This led to his involvement with design work connected to the development of Masdar City in UAE after Mr. Lawton and Mr. Lawton’s consulting company (Permaculture Sustainable Consultancy Pty. Ltd.) were contracted by AECOM/EDAW to identify solutions which fit the challenging zero emissions/carbon neutral design constraint of the project.

Rhamis recently lectured at Schumacher College (named after the influential economic thinker E.F. Schumacher) in Totnes, Devon UK about the application of permaculture in post-industrial Detroit. He is presently consulting with a delegation of Somali expatriates initiating ecological restoration and education work in Northern Somalia.

Given the rapidly growing interest in sustainable development, Mr. Kent hopes to bring to the attention of the investment community an aspect of the emerging sustainable economy that has yet to be seriously considered for significant financial support – Earth Repair/Ecosystem Restoration Work (ERW) and regenerative design.

In addition, the forests offer unique opportunities for education and research. The agricultural benefit of clearing of those forests would be negligible. The development of wildlife reserve would be the use of these areas in Calmadow. International support should encourage the development of a Study Center, which would increase awareness of the value of forest and provide long-term employment benefits. Some of the degraded forest should be brought to a more natural state while other areas are developed for timber, fuel-wood and honey production. Improved systems of the present farming, education and medical facilities are crucial to the success of the Wildlife Reserve.

Finally and more importantly, despite the civil war that ravaged Somalia, the Calmadow region remains relatively calm and peaceful. Therefore, the area is very safe for any project, the local people are very supportive, and peace minded. This has been fully confirmed by the Botanist Team who recently visited the area.

The thickly closed mountain forest has an altitude between 700-800 m above sea level with a mean annual rainfall of 750-850mm. The highest peak of the mountain range is 2500m at Shembir beris north west of Erigavo, in addition to the rainfall Calmadow receive additional precipitation, fogs and winter rains which support isolated forests such as Juniperus, Buxus etc,.

Mist also appears to be important in relation to the distribution of Juniperus (Dayib) which is one of the species utilized as timber by the local people. The Buxus (Dhoqos), (Dayib) and Celtis (boodaar) poles are cut from living trees in the evergreen forest for timber production. The discovery of the locust bean (Ceratonia), Lavanders and many other species has emphasized the many links Calmadow highlands have with the Mediterranean region.

Despite the current changes in land-use,  Calmadow has internationally valuable un-exploited mineral deposits and unique natural habitats, which are part of Somalias heritage. Floristically, Calmadow has approximately 1,000 plant species, 200 of which are endemic and found in this area only.

The Calmadow and its neighboring areas are also richer in fauna than other parts of Somalia and harbor some of the rarest and most localized of Somalia’s endemic species. Here a Linnet (Warsanghelia johannis, Acanthus olivae (Pigeon) and Golden-winged Grosbeak occur, as well as color full antelope, the Dorctrgus megalotis (Beira) and different species of Gazelles.

Calmadow’s environment suffered greatly in recent years, along with its ecology, many of which are unique to Calmadow. Most of the remaining forests are small and fragmented and none are protected. Although the local knowledge of natural resources in calmadow is great, agriculturally and social projects, UN and foreign-aided development schemes usually fail to consider or make use of this knowledge.

Detailed studies of conserving the Calmadow is needed to highlight the present status of these areas and provide guidelines for sustainable agricultural use and point to the benefits of conserving scarce forest resources, with the lack of proper utilization and conservation and the continuation of destroying the plants, then the livestock and the plants will die together and there will be nothing left for many generations to come. There are so many under-exploited Calmadow plants that their proper study and assessment would be sure to yield benefit both to the people and to medical science.

The flora of Somalia contains more than 3000 species of vascular plants and is thus much richer than that of Sahel region in general and this constitutes unique genetic resources. Of the 156 plant families recorded from Somalia about 21% are restricted to the north, while 11% are found in the south. Somalia houses a greater number of endemic plant species, many of which occur in the north and eastern regions notably Calmadow. Most of these species are beautiful herbs, which occur nowhere else in the world.

The Acacia bussei (Galool) is one of the economically and traditionally most important species found in Somalia. It produces excellent charcoal, fodder, building materials, shade, medicine etc. If it is cut for charcoal, it will take 40 years to get a replacement Galool to grow to a stage suitable for charcoal.

After the collapse of the Somali Government, many people started illegal trade of this tree for charcoal export to the Gulf Countries and there is now a greater danger for desertification to spread in the Sool area. Much of this lucrative trade is illegal under International regulations and there is now an urgent need to reverse this trend. Trees cant speak for themselves-only you can speak out for them, help to stop this cruel business now before it is too late.