Climate change in Somalia today is raising emergencies.
Repeated droughts, devastating floods and relentless desertification are stripping away an already fragile environment.
According to a recent analysis by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Somalia ranks among the most environmentally vulnerable countries on earth and is highly exposed to climate-induced displacement.
Climate Change in Somalia and Conflict Intersect
Climate change in Somalia does not happen in isolation.
Extremist groups such as al-Shabab exploit environmental stress to tighten control over communities, using scarcity and instability as tools of influence.
In riverine districts, unprecedented flooding has submerged entire villages, displacing thousands who were already recovering from conflict.
At the same time, drought-driven disputes over pasture and water have become fertile ground for recruitment into violent networks.
More than 3.8 million people are now internally displaced, and urban centers struggle to absorb the influx of families fleeing hunger, insecurity and environmental collapse.
Shocks that Lead to Climate Change in Somalia
While terrorism is not caused by climate change in Somalia, it thrives in its wake, eroding the capacity of communities and institutions to withstand shocks.
Violent groups feed off intercommunal tensions, seize scarce resources and offer disillusioned youth false promises when livelihoods disappear.
This toxic mix has devastated rural resilience and left families with few choices but to migrate or depend on aid.
Environmental Damage Compounds Displacement
Somali forces and local militias have liberated more than 80 towns and villages from extremist control over the past three years.
Yet these victories also reveal environmental devastation—scorched earth, poisoned wells and destroyed farmland.
Many pastoral areas once rich in grazing now lie bare, degraded by neglect and deliberate sabotage.
This legacy of environmental violence fuels rural-to-urban migration and unregulated growth.
Former farmers and herders find themselves homeless in cities, underscoring the need to integrate environmental restoration into stabilization and peacebuilding efforts.
Climate Resilience vs Climate Change in Somalia
Building climate resilience requires focusing on those most affected: rural communities, women and youth. Across rural and peri-urban areas, women shoulder the heaviest burden of climate devastation while maintaining families and fragile peace across clan lines.
Their leadership is vital yet often overlooked.
Meanwhile, Somalia’s youth—the majority of the population—face shrinking opportunities, drought and insecurity.
The government and its partners must urgently bridge education, skills and livelihoods to create a greener, more peaceful future.
Aligning Climate Action with National Development
Hope alone will not rebuild Somalia.
The country’s climate agenda must align with its economic vision outlined in Vision 2060 and the National Transformation Plan (NTP) 2025-2029.
Quick fixes and emergency aid cannot resolve structural vulnerabilities.
In 2023, more than half of all Official Development Assistance went to humanitarian relief.
While essential, this approach does not tackle root causes.
Long-term investment in climate-smart agriculture, water management, fisheries and pastoral supply chains is critical to break the cycle of crisis.
The Challenge of Global Climate Finance
Despite Somalia’s urgent needs, the global climate finance system remains difficult to access.
Its complexity often excludes the very countries most affected by extreme weather.
Fragile states with emerging institutions are routinely sidelined, and the more fragile a country, the less climate-related development finance it receives.
In 2021-22, only 5.3% of such finance from OECD Development Assistance Committee members reached countries with extreme fragility.
Many developing nations also struggle with unsustainable debt, diverting scarce resources away from health, education and infrastructure needed for a just transition.
Somalia’s New Climate Finance Architecture
To address this gap, Somalia is accelerating efforts to access financing from all available sources, including major vertical funds.
A new National Climate Fund within the Ministry of Finance is reshaping how the country plans and manages climate resources.
Under the NTP, funding is being directed toward climate-smart projects that tackle the roots of conflict, strengthen food security, reconnect rural areas to urban markets, create green jobs and protect biodiversity.
Climate Resilience as a Path to Peace
In Somalia, where every drop of rain—or its absence—can mean life or death, building climate resilience is not just an environmental necessity.
It is a strategic act to advance peacebuilding and economic development.
By safeguarding and restoring natural capital, Somalia can break cycles of violence, prevent future conflict and secure a more hopeful future for its people.
Source: Daily Sabah
