Prolonged drought affects Somali Pastoralists’ Livelihoods and Way of Life

[Deeq A.]

Hard currency earner: Somalis export livestock to Gulf countries.

“I am the last nomad. My ancestors traveled the East African desert in search of grazing land for their livestock, and the most precious resource of all—water. When they exhausted the land and the clouds disappeared from the horizon, their accumulated ancestral knowledge told them where to move next to find greener pastures.” Shukri Said Salh in The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert.

Somalis consume meat and milk from camels, goats, sheep and cattle in both urban and rural settings. The phrase cad iyo caano (meat and milk) conveys the nutritional and health-boosting qualities of the livestock that , along with agriculture, that Somalis value.

Recurrent droughts jeopardize the source of livelihood Somalis have been dependent for millennia. In Somalia livestock is not only a basis for subsistence but provides business opportunities ranging from sale of livestock for domestic consumption and for export to Gulf countries.

Water shortage (both rainfall and water reservoirs) and parched, one-time pasturelands affect the nomadic existence of people in the countryside. Many pastoralists travel for hundreds of kilometers to areas they expect to find pasture for their livestock. Drastic decrease of of pasture necessitates travelling to long distances. Socioeconomic changes in post-1991 Somalia predispose nomads to transport their livestock in lorries. The cost for transporting livestock to pasturelands is higher.

Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni is alive to the risk recurrent droughts pose to Somali nomads whose contribution to the national GDP is seldom acknowledged.

My research indicates that a nomad with a modest means has to shell out approximately $1200 to transport 300 head of goats or sheep. Not all nomads can afford to pay the steep transport cost, they choose to remain at drought-stricken areas. Hundreds of livestock perish due to lack of water and pasture.

Oblivious to the economic mainstay of livestock, national political leaders have yet to devise policies to prevent collapse of nomadism, which has long contributed to the national coffers due to hard currency from livestock exports.

Puntland State government ought to prioritize measures to support nomads through allocation of funds for pasture, water and transportation of livestock to pasturelands where possible. Coordinating with multilateral organizations such FAO could help Puntland State to learn from other parts of the world where nomads have adapted to incipient climate change through meticulous resource management are drought preparedness. Sitting on the fence is no longer an option. Puntland State government should lunch a campaign to help Somali nomads to adapt to recurrent droughts.
 

By Mohamed Abdirahman Hassan (Karshe), Consultant for the Ministry of Commerce, Industries and Investment- Puntland State of Somalia

Gmail: guledkarshe9@gmail.com

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