Climate-related vulnerability and adaptive-capacity in Ethiopia’s Borana and Somali communities

This policy brief, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in August 2009, examines climate-related vulnerability and adaptive capacity among pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in the Borana and Shinile zones of Ethiopia. Based on a 2009 study, the document details how increasing temperatures, drought frequency, and unpredictable rainfall are rendering traditional coping strategies ineffective, leading to food insecurity and environmental degradation. It provides specific recommendations for the Ethiopian government, civil society, and international donors to enhance resilience through community-led interventions, improved infrastructure, and better climate information sharing.

• Pastoral communities in the Borana and Shinile zones are experiencing unprecedented climate variability, characterized by rising temperatures, more frequent droughts, and rainfall that occurs in shorter, more intense episodes.
• Adaptation efforts are hindered by several systemic barriers, including land degradation, conflicts over scarce resources, limited access to financial services and education, and inadequate government coordination and policies.
• The Government of Ethiopia is advised to protect pastoral land from conversion to unsustainable uses, resolve boundary conflicts through collaboration between formal and customary authorities, and improve the distribution of early warning climate information in local languages.
• Civil society organizations are encouraged to integrate climate projections into their programming, such as building emergency shelters and grain banks raised above ground to mitigate the impact of projected increases in heavy rainfall and flash floods, particularly in Borana.
• There is a documented shift in livelihood strategies as a response to climate stress, with some pure pastoralists moving toward agro-pastoralism for reliability, while others resort to charcoal production and selling firewood when farming fails.
• International donors are urged to provide funding flexibility to allow for adjustments based on climate uncertainties and to include specific funds for emergencies so that project goals are not compromised by climate-related shocks.

APA

Riché, B., & Hammill, A. (2009). Climate-related vulnerability and adaptive-capacity in Ethiopia’s Borana and Somali communities. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/climate_ethiopia_communities_brief.pdf

Chicago

Riché, Béatrice, and Anne Hammill. Climate-related vulnerability and adaptive-capacity in Ethiopia’s Borana and Somali communities. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/climate_ethiopia_communities_brief.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Riché |first1=Béatrice |last2=Hammill |first2=Anne |title=Climate-related vulnerability and adaptive-capacity in Ethiopia’s Borana and Somali communities |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=August 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/climate_ethiopia_communities_brief.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rich2009climaterelated, author = {Riché, Béatrice and Hammill, Anne}, title = {{Climate-related vulnerability and adaptive-capacity in Ethiopia’s Borana and Somali communities}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/climate_ethiopia_communities_brief.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }