abdira/green-energy-somalia-djibouti
Domain:
environment and energygeospatialRecord type:
project
Creator:
abd
Host:
GIS-based mapping of solar, wind, and water resources across Somalia and Djibouti using Google Earth Engine and ERA5/CHIRPS satellite data
# Green Energy Potential Mapping — Somalia & Djibouti 🇸🇴🇩🇯
## Project Overview
This project maps renewable energy potential across Somalia and Djibouti using satellite-derived climate data. Three resource maps — solar radiation, wind speed, and annual rainfall — are combined into a suitability analysis that identifies optimal zones for decentralised green energy investment.
## Why This Matters
Somalia and Djibouti have abundant natural resources: year-round sun, strong coastal winds, and seasonal rainfall. Yet both nations remain almost entirely dependent on imported fossil fuels for electricity generation. Energy poverty is severe — less than 35% of Somalis have access to electricity, and Djibouti imports nearly all its power.
The war in the Middle East has demonstrated with brutal clarity that energy is not a commodity — it is a matter of life and death for our civilisation. Nations that control their energy control their destiny.
This project asks: where should we build first?
## Key Findings
### ☀️ Solar Energy Potential
| Zone | Solar Radiation | Potential |
|------|----------------|-----------|
| Northern Somalia coast (Gulf of Aden) | 6.5–7.5 kWh/m²/day | **Excellent** — among the highest in the world |
| Djibouti | 6.0–7.0 kWh/m²/day | **Excellent** — consistent year-round sun |
| Central Somalia | 5.5–6.5 kWh/m²/day | **Very Good** |
| Southern Somalia | 4.5–5.5 kWh/m²/day | **Good** — slightly reduced by cloud cover |
**Finding:** Djibouti and northern Somalia receive solar radiation comparable to the Sahara Desert — ideal for utility-scale solar farms.
### 💨 Wind Energy Potential
| Zone | Wind Speed (10m) | Potential |
|------|------------------|-----------|
| Puntland coast (Xaafuun to Eyl) | 6–8 m/s | **Excellent** — consistent offshore winds |
| Central coast (Hobyo to Mogadishu) | 5–7 m/s | **Very Good** |
| Inland regions | 2–4 m/s | **Moderate** |
| Djibouti (interior) | 2–4 m/s | **Moderate** |
**Finding:** The northeastern Somali coas …