Libya’s Environment Minister in the Government of National Unity (GNU), Ibrahim Al-Arabi, has described the country’s environmental situation as “catastrophic”, blaming decades of government neglect for severe degradation in biodiversity.
In an interview with Arabi21, Al-Arabi said Libya’s biodiversity had suffered a “serious decline” over the past 30 years. He stressed that successive governments had failed to prioritise environmental protection, leaving ecosystems vulnerable to both human activity and armed conflict.
Conflict’s Toll on Nature
The minister highlighted the environmental damage caused by years of fighting, particularly since 2011. “In any armed conflict in the world, you find a clear deterioration in the environmental situation,” he said. “We have seen assaults on the coastlines, expansion at the expense of vegetation cover, and even peaceful wildlife has been harmed by the war.”
According to Al-Arabi, the combination of coastal erosion, unregulated construction, and habitat loss has placed immense pressure on fragile ecosystems, with many species facing heightened threats.
Security Concerns Force Relocation of African Environment Ministers’ Meeting
Al-Arabi also revealed that the 20th session of the African Ministers’ Council on the Environment, originally planned for Tripoli, had to be moved to Nairobi, Kenya, due to security concerns. “The arrangements were in place for Libya to host,” he said, “but after a security breach in Tripoli, we were informed the meeting would be relocated.”
Despite the setback, Libya retains the presidency of the council and hopes to host an extraordinary ministerial summit later this year or early next year, provided the security situation continues to improve.
The minister expressed optimism that, with stability, Libya could begin addressing its long-standing environmental challenges through regional cooperation and stronger national policies.
