(ERGO) – About 2,500 pastoralist families are returning to their villages in central Somalia’s Adado after the local authority brought in new measures to prevent waste from being dumped on grazing land.
Abdi Hassan Ali and his family including five children have returned to their small house made of iron-sheets after a year and a half away.
“There is a huge difference now,” he said. “Today it is better, holes have been dug to bury and burn the waste. The area is clean now. The livestock used to feed on the plastic waste and die.”
He told Radio Ergo that he lost 21 goats after consuming plastic debris. He moved away with family and herd to Qaradhi village, 20 kilometres away. He is happy to have returned to a cleaner environment with his 80 goats.
“We are prepared to work with the new administration to keep the area clean. No one can live near contaminated waste, it’s a danger to the livestock, the children get sick, and it’s bad for the whole environment,” he stated.
Abdi is also working as a porter on construction sites to supplement the livelihood from his livestock.
Isse Hussein Mohamed returned to Laamo-gaabo village near Adado. He said he lost 40 goats towards the end of 2021 after they ate waste that had been dumped.
He migrated with his remaining goats in January 2022 to Bawda-dogore, 25 kilometres away, and came back after hearing about the measures put in place by the local authorities.
“When I heard that the waste had been cleared, I felt good and that is when I decided to come back. There weren’t any trees left in the area before. So I am very happy to be returning to our home,” he said.
With plastic waste taking a toll his livestock, Isse turned to odd jobs to provide for his family of eight, working sometimes as a porter offloading goods from trucks for $6 a day. He hopes pastoralism will revive if the environment remains clean and they get rainfall.
Adado local authorities have designated waste dumping sites to the north of the town, where pits have been dug to burn waste. A local company organises the disposal process. The Adado mayor, Farah Diriye Warsame, said the administration has been working with locals including students to clean up the town. They have also initiated campaigns to raise awareness about the hazards of uncontrolled waste.
“We work closely with the people and pastoralists in particular. The waste poses dangers to people. We have asked people to watch out for trucks dumping waste illegally and to note and report their number plates,” the mayor said.
