On the 3rd of December at COP28 in Dubai, Dr Iulii Didovets contributed a keynote presentation of a study on climate change impacts on water resources and extreme events in the Juba Basin in Somalia. The research was a joint project of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and adelphi.
The aim of the session was to present and discuss key findings of recent climate impact modelling in the Juba Basin, which is one of the most economically important river basins in Somalia and considered the country's bread basket, but suffers from recurrent floods and droughts, threatening livelihoods and food security in the basin. In this context, the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the Federal Government of Somalia (MoEWR), with funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), commissioned a study on the impacts of climate change on water resources and hydrological extremes in the basin. Ms Badra Yusuf of MoEWR moderated the launch event of the report, which provides insights into expected changes in precipitation, water availability and flooding in the future, but also discusses remaining uncertainties. Participants included H.E. Gamal M. Hassan, Director of the Centre of Excellence for Climate Adaptation and Environmental Protection, Dennis Taenzler, Head of Climate Policy at adelphi, Dr. Stefan Uhlenbrook, Head of Hydrology at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), and Volli Carucci, Director of Resilience and Food Systems at the World Food Programme (WFP). They all shared their professional perspectives on the impacts of climate change, recurrent floods and droughts in Somalia, and shared the need for further action to support livelihoods, food security and stability in the region.
