Apothecary's Garden

General information

The main objective of our applied research is to save the frankincense economy from collapse, as both are culturally, economically, and ecologically important for the communities of the Sanaag region in Somaliland. We approach this work with the need to understand how locals have traditionally used the trees, how trees have responded to the use and how current pricing and demand are affecting both the wellbeing of people and trees in the region. Ultimately we hope to find the “sweet spot” between healthy trees and secure communities. We realize that a new factor has added to the relation between trees and people in this semi-arid region: a less predictable weather pattern due to climate change. As dry and wet seasons change, we expect that both trees and people will be affected. This makes our work of quickly finding smart ways of making a living with resin trees even more urgent.

Project Teams:

Scientific Team:
Dr. Anjanette DeCarlo, PhD, Project Director
Dr. Marta Ceroni, PhD, Lead Scientific Advisor
Stephen Johnson, Research Associate

Somaliland Team:
Dr. Ali Abdi Hure, President of Sanaag University of Science and Technology
Professor Caydiid Xasan Abdi, Project Coordinator
Ahmed Derei Elmi, Forester/Technical Expert
Abdinasir Ahmed Jama, Drone Pilot/Technical Expert

Core Institutional Partners:
Sanaag University of Science and Technology, Somaliland Biodiversity Foundation, Hargeysa Cultural Centre

Advisory Institutional Partners:
Candlelight for Environment, Education, and Health, University of Hargeisa, Somaliland Ministry of Environment and Rural Development