On September 8, 2025, efforts aligned with the region’s environmental greening plan led to the launch of a native tree restoration initiative aimed at reviving plant species that were once widely known across the Somali Region but are now at risk of extinction.
The tree planting activity was carried out in the village of Golo Xaajo, located in Kubi Jaare Kebele of Gursum District, focusing on the planting of the Quraca (Garbi) tree, a species considered to be highly endangered.
The event was attended by senior leadership from the SRS Environmental Protection and Rural Land Administration Bureau (SRS.EPRLAB), led by H.E. Marwo Abdiaziz Abdullahi, Deputy Bureau Head, along with bureau directors. Officials from the Gursum District Administration, headed by the District Administrator and members of the district cabinet, also took part in the activity.
The initiative is being implemented through a partnership between the SRS Environmental Protection and Rural Land Administration Bureau (SRS.EPRLAB) and the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), based in Nairobi, under a project titled “Right Tree – Right Place – Right Purpose (RRRTP)”. To date, nearly 4,000 trees have been planted as part of this project, contributing to a broader plan to plant more than 8,000 trees across the Somali Region.
Speaking at the event, H.E. Marwo Abdiaziz Abdullahi highlighted the ongoing conservation efforts and underscored the significance of the project for environmental restoration and land care in the region.
The project, which is funded by the German organization, is expected to become one of the largest land restoration initiatives in the region, particularly at a time when concerns over land degradation and surface land changes linked to climate change are increasingly growing.
