Environment and Biodiversity

Somalia’s natural wealth in crisis

Droughts in Somalia can be devastating to crops and livelihoods

The Somali environment suffers from both natural and man-made problems. Natural problems center around water scarcity. Somalia is historically prone to frequent droughts which lead to water shortages and starvation in rural communities, which depend on rainwater for crop cultivation and livestock rearing activities. Human and animal lives are lost yearly to drought in Somalia. These deadly droughts are often followed by devastating floods, particularly in riverine southern Somalia. Local coping strategies and prevention capacities have been eroded by the decades of conflict and governmental absence.

Environmental problems of human origin include deforestation for charcoal export, the dumping of hazardous waste, and livestock and agricultural practices which place a strain on natural resources. Standing at the intersection of natural and man-made problems, land degradation is another key environmental issue in Somalia, closely linked to desertification, drought, and unsustainable livestock and agricultural practices.

These problems place a strain on biodiversity as well as local livelihoods.