Environment & Climate Change
Challenges and Impacts
Climate change, coupled with human-induced environmental degradation, posing an imminent threat to the present and future generation of Somali rural communities. Frequent, intensive, and prolonged droughts, flash flooding, water scarcity, deforestation, land degradation and soil erosion are the major contributors to rural poverty, food insecurity, diseases, social conflicts and rural exodus. Climate change is predicted to get worse and will cause further devastating impacts on the livelihoods of rural communities. The most devastating natural disaster occurred in the past 10 years, such 2011, 2016 and 2017 droughts, destructive flooding in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and again droughts in 2022 and 2023.
In monetary terms, the World Bank estimated that the drought impacts exceeded $3,25 billion loss, without including the loss of human lives. The images below highlights the impacts of climate change on rural communities.
Dryland and top soil ersion
Rural Flooding Shabelle River
Livestock in distress
Locusts outbreak affect food security
Impact on food security
Devastating loss of livestock
Hot blown wind
Dry river bed
Diseases & Malnutrition
Building Resilience
SRD - think tank strives to promote building the resilience and the capacity of small farmers and producers on climate change adaptation. Rural communities rely on their livelihoods on land and natural resources and they are disproportionally affected by increasing risks of climate change. Rural communities cannot wait until next disaster strikes again and millions of people die for hunger, diseases and malnutrition. We advocate to implement innovative solution to build the resilience, including bit not limited:
Economic diversification at household level - as a mitigation strategy, we promote diversifying rural income such as raising backyard poultry, rearing goats, growing vegetables. These additional economic activities will enable families diversified income, food security and reduction of malnutrition.
Adaptation of climate-smart solutions including rainwater harvesting, managing grazing land, drip irrigation, land restoration, improving soil quality and crop rotation.
Advocate for international community investment on climate change to rural priorities and performance evaluation of the current climate resilience initiatives.