While much has been written about how climate change can lead to conflict, far less is reported on how conflict can worsen the
impact of climate change, especially through impeding government efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of rising temperatures. As the accompanying excerpted article from Shabelle Media, an independent media operation based in Mogadishu points out, that is exactly what is happening in Somalia today. Torn by ethnic strife for four decades, and now ruled by a fragile government that is spending much of its effort on defeating al Shabaab, few resources are available to help the population combat the extreme weather events brought on by climate change.
Many Somalis are pastoralists, a group whose livelihood is particularly susceptible to drought. As the article notes, “compounding
the challenge of climate change is the prolonged civil strife that has undermined the resilience of local communities who mainly eke a living from pastoralism and subsistence farming.” The article also includes a statement from the “head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Economic Security Program in Somalia,” who noted how “Somalia is a perfect case of disastrous consequences of the combination of climate change and conflict. The duo have worsened an already dire humanitarian situation.” The article goes on to mention how little money is available to assist the pastoralists as “three decades of conflict have weakened institutions of governance in Somalia and left an estimated 2.9 million people internally displaced” and that this has “worsened competition for dwindling resources, leading to inter-communal tensions.” As one herder describes the situation, all of it “has pushed us further to the margins,” which has been noted to make recruitment by terrorist groups easier.
Compounding the challenge of climate change is the prolonged civil strife that has undermined the resilience of local communities who mainly eke a living from pastoralism and subsistence farming.
Source: Omar Nor, “Climate Change and Conflict Threaten Somali Herders,” Shabelle Media Network (an independent media operation based in Mogadishu), 3 August 2021. https://shabellemedia.com/climate-change-and-conflict-threaten-somali-herders/
…Somalia and the greater Horn of African region have become epicenters of climate related disasters that have worsened hunger, water stress and resource-based conflicts.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), more than 30 climate-related hazards including floods and droughts have hit Somalia since 1990, a three-fold increase compared to similar events between 1970 and 1990.
Compounding the challenge of climate change is the prolonged civil strife that has undermined the resilience of local communities who mainly eke a living from pastoralism and subsistence farming.
“Somalia is a perfect case of disastrous consequences of the combination of climate change and conflict. The duo have worsened an already dire humanitarian situation,” said Abdalla Togola, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Economic Security Program in Somalia.
While noting that three decades of conflict have weakened institutions of governance in Somalia and left an estimated 2.9 million people internally displaced, Togola said that climatic stresses have also worsened competition for dwindling resources, leading to inter-communal tensions…
According to Gure, the allure of pastoralism is fading at a dizzying speed as extreme weather events become the norm in Somalia, leading to loss of camels, cattle and goats that are a source of income, food and cultural identity.
“We the rural people have always relied on livestock for sustenance and losing them at a high rate due to drought has pushed us further to the margins,” said Gure. “We worry about the future of our children as it is apparent that harsh weather conditions will be the norm.”
Author
Hits: 0