Building Resilience Matters

Climate Change Realities

Somalia rural communities rely on natural resources and ecosystem services for livelihoods and food security. The country is semi-arid with historic experience of droughts and hardship conditions. However, rural communities have built resilience and adaptation mechanisms to cope with droughts and were able to recover quickly. However, in the past 30 years, climate change has significantly intensified, manifesting in more frequent and prolonged droughts (1992, 1998, 2003, 2011, 2017,2018 and 2023), as well as extreme whether events like destructive flash flood of 2019, 2020, and 2021. These phenomena are driven by combination of rising global temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and human-induced environmental degradation.

Climate Change Impacts

Climate change has profoundly affected rural communities, exacerbating social and economic challenges. The World Bank and Somalia Federal Government synthesis report of 2018 estimated that droughts damages exceed $3.25 billion. Livestock and natural resources are the most affected sectors, while they are the source of livelihood for more than half of the country’s population.

Key consequences of the recurring climate impacts and man-made disasters include:

• Food insecurity - nearly 6.2 million, half of the country’s population are food insecure and rely humanitarian food assistance.

• Malnutrition - it’s estimated about 1.2 million children face acute malnutrition and the country has the highest child and maternal mortality rates in the world.

• Forced displacement – about 2.5 million rural people are internally displaced and over one million people are in refugee camps in the neighboring countries.

• Diseases and outbreaks – nearly 5.5 million people are at risk of contracting water-borne diseases like acute watery diarrhea, cholera, and polio. Lack of access to clean water and sanitation also contribute the high rates of water-borne diseases.

• Gender Impacts – women and children are disproportionally affected by extreme climate patterns. Social norms and power structures impacts the lives and opportunities for women to escape poverty.

• Terrorism recruitment - rural youth joining to terrorism groups for livelihood.

Building Resilience Matters

The challenges facing Somalia rural communities are indeed severe, and the compound effects of climate change, populations, human-induced environmental disasters, terrorism, and social conflicts are accelerating the risk of large-scale human and environmental catastrophe. Building resilience for small farmers and producers is critical cornerstone for food security, poverty alleviation, restoring rural economy, and paving the way for long-term sustainable development, peace, and stability. The following highlights the rationale of building resilience matters:

• Ensuring food security for a growing population – building resilience can boost food security for millions, and growing population.

• Creating jobs - with Somalia’s population projected to double by 2050, building resilience will generate jobs and livelihoods to prevent rural exodus and urban migration.

• Supporting the Economic Backbone of the Country - Rural areas are home to over half of Somalia’s population and contribute significantly to the economy (approximately 70% of GDP). A thriving rural economy boosts national wealth and resilience.

• Alleviating Poverty, Hunger, and Displacement - Rural communities bear the brunt of poverty, food insecurity, and climate-induced displacement. Strengthening their resilience eases suffering and enables self-sufficiency.

• Paving the Way for Sustainable Land and Natural Resource Management- Somalia’s economy and biodiversity depend on healthy ecosystems. Mismanagement of natural resources leads to land degradation, loss of livelihoods, and conflicts.

Building resilience for Somalia’s rural communities requires coordinated efforts between governments, civil societies, and rural communities, to address the intertwined challenges of climate change, resource scarcity, and socio-political instability. Civil societies are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between rural communities, and government institutions. By fostering collaboration, championing grassroots and community-driven solutions, awareness, and education of climate change, reaching out remote and vulnerable communities, they can significantly contribute to building resilience in rural communities, ensuring sustainability, and improving livelihoods.

.About the author

Abdi Siyad Omar is an Architect and Urban and Regional Planner with over 25 years of international experience in land, natural resources, and environmental planning. He has worked with the United Nations and the World Bank on major infrastructure and water projects in Somalia and Angola, Afghanistan, Pakistan and with Alberta Environment in Canada on land and water management. His work focuses on sustainable development, project management, evaluation and monitoring, Environmental and social impact assessment, climate resilience, and community-driven planning.