Adaptation to climate change among pastoralist communities of Somali Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study has general aim of investigating, Adaptation to climate change among pastoralist communities of Somali Region, Ethiopia. It deals with impacts of climate change, adaptation strategies of pastoralist communities and adaptation mechanisms. The study is framed by three complementary theoretical perspectives Afrocentricity, the Capability Approach, and the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) which together position pastoralists as active agents whose indigenous knowledge, capabilities, and livelihood assets shape their adaptive responses to climate risks. Guided by a pragmatist research philosophy, the study employed mixedmethods with descriptive research design. The study population comprised the pastoral communities of the Somali Region, which contains 5,748,998 of people from which 384 sample size were selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure across six purposively selected districts. Data were collected using a structured household survey, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observations, and were analysed using descriptive statistics, a binary logistic regression model, and thematic analysis of the qualitative data.

The findings show that recurrent drought, erratic rainfall, and water scarcity are the dominant climatic stressors in the region, driving livestock losses, resource-based conflict, and food insecurity. Most households practised some form of adaptation, principally migration, livestock diversification and sales, and careful management of available resources although many of these responses remained short-term and and prior adaptive experience as significant determinants of adaptive capacity. While 60.9% of households reported receiving institutional support, only 15.4% considered the interventions supportive, and access to credit, safety nets, and extension services remained limited. Qualitative evidence revealed weak coordination between formal interventions and indigenous knowledge systems, despite strong community reliance on traditional practices such as resource sharing and herd mobility. The study concludes that climate change in the Somali Region is not only an ecological hazard but also a socio-economic and institutional challenge. Building durable resilience therefore requires long-term, participatory approaches that integrate indigenous and scientific knowledge, strengthen institutional support, diversify livelihoods, and improve p access to climate information and financial resources.