International Environmental Law (IEL) is concerned with the attempt to control pollution and the depletion of natural resources within a framework of sustainable development. It is a branch of public international law - a body of law created by states for states to govern problems that arise between states (Lakshman D Guruswamy, International Environmental Law in a Nutshell (West, 4th ed, 2012)).

While the big concern is to preserve from depletion, it is always seen that the developed world are violating these laws. Basically, most of these laws come from the international conventions and treaties between the member states of the United Nations whether that is the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992 or the United Nation?s Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1997.  Of course, customary and other international principles on protecting the environment are part of the international environmental laws. However, it is very common that large number of the member states signed the international treaties do not protect these binding laws and rather violate without knowing the consequences that may arise from their actions.

In Somaliland, there are the Somaliland Environmental Laws calling for state to give a special priority to the protection and safeguarding of the environment, which is essential for the well-being of the society, and to the care of the natural resources. These laws include National Environment Research and Disaster-preparedness (NERAD) Agency Law; Law on the Prevention of Deforestation & Desertification and Ministerial Programme on marine reserves and conservation. More recently, the Ministry of Environment and Rural Development passed laws on Somaliland Wildlife and Forest Conservation Laws which pays close attention to the safety of the wildlife since most of the wildlife animals in Somaliland are in danger of extinction.

Even though Somaliland is not internationally recognized, it is struggling to protect the environmental and there are also many steps taken forward which is limiting the threats to wildlife including the most recent legal punishments against those selling tortoise the neighboring countries. Nevertheless, Somaliland has no financial and institutional capacity to deliver its environmental protection laws and policies and this is the reason why deforestation for charcoal is still active in the country. Globally, there is need of global environmental governance and commitments that are halting human activities that are damaging the environment.