Somalia’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Khadija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi, has been nominated for the Africa Sustainability Outliers Awards (ASO), along with three other individuals.

As the only woman among the nominees, Hon. Khadija has been recognized for her remarkable contributions to sustainability and environmental resilience in transforming Somalia’s environmental policies and expediting the nation’s sustainability development goals.

The ASO Awards have acknowledged her unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and the transformative changes she has brought to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

As the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Khadija initiated and executed ground-breaking policies, strategies, laws, and regulations that have led to huge advancements in disaster risk reduction, emergency response, and community resilience.

Under her leadership, Somalia launched the Great Green Wall initiative as part of the Somalia Green Initiative, a comprehensive project aimed at combatting climate change and environmental degradation.

The Great Green Wall initiative is a important effort to combat desertification, land degradation, and drought in the Sahel region of Africa by planting trees, restoring land, and promoting sustainable land management practices.

These great achievements are making a substantial contribution to the advancement of Africa’s sustainable development goals, and economic prosperity in line with ASO Award’s vision.

Minister Khadija Almakhzoumi’s transformative work in Somalia’s Ministry of Environment, as well as her innovative approach to environmental sustainability, have not gone unnoticed. She becomes the first Somali leader to be nominated for the ASO awards, serving as an inspiration to others within Somalia and beyond.

Hon. Khadija presented the National Meteorological Agency Bill to the Cabinet ministers, which was subsequently passed during their weekly ministerial session last Thursday.

She emphasized the bill’s importance in enabling timely precautionary measures, particularly during the eagerly awaited rainy season. This legislation aims to safeguard the well-being of citizens and promote sustainable environmental benefits.

Before her role as Minister, Hon. Khadija previously served as Somalia’s Ambassador to Pakistan and Iraq, as well as a political advisor to the Arab League.

She held senior advisory positions within the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs and worked as a counsellor at the Somali embassy in Malaysia. Her wealth of experience and expertise have greatly informed her current role.

The ASO Awards presentation event is scheduled for November 9-10, 2023, at the Africa Union Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which will be a grand celebration of Africa’s sustainability champions.

The Africa Sustainability Outliers Awards (ASO) is an organization dedicated to celebrating and recognizing outstanding individuals and institutions that serve as beacons of sustainability across Africa.