Climate change impacts and resilience pathways in somalia through a systematic review

Abstract

Somalia is among the most climate-vulnerable countries worldwide, characterized by predominantly arid and semi-arid regions increasingly affected by recurrent droughts, irregular precipitation, rising temperatures, land degradation, and water scarcity, all of which compromise livelihoods, food security, and socio-economic stability. This study addresses the limited synthesis of recent, spatially explicit evidence on climate change impacts in Somalia by bringing together current literature and institutional reports to analyze the effects of climate change and identify adaptation and resilience strategies The review is entirely desk-based and utilizes 30 secondary data articles from reputable sources such as FAO-SWALIM, the World Bank, ICPAC, FSNAU, USAID, and peer-reviewed research articles from Scopus and web of science published from 2008 to 2025. The results showed that over 60% of Somalia’s territory is categorized as arid or hyper-arid, with the southern parts seeing the most acute soil erosion and environmental deterioration. Significant drought occurrences, especially in 2010–2011 and 2016–2017, were greatly impacted by extensive climatic factors including ENSO and the Indian Ocean Dipole. Climate variability has resulted in reduced crop yields, pasture degradation, livestock mortality, persistent water shortages, and extensive food insecurity, while inadequate governance, restricted climate financing, and deficient early-warning and monitoring systems hinder effective adaptation. The review emphasizes that climate change presents a systemic threat to Somalia’s environmental and livelihood systems, highlighting the necessity for integrated, spatially informed strategies that incorporate GIS-based environmental monitoring, sustainable land and water management, climate-smart agriculture, strengthened institutions, and enhanced access to climate finance to support long-term resilience and sustainable development.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Discover Applied Sciences, 2026 · DOI ↗