Profiles of Adaptation: Somalia

Somalia is identified as the second most climate-vulnerable country globally, currently facing its worst drought in 40 years which has displaced 7.8 million people. To address this, the government established the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in August 2022 and is developing a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) focusing on agriculture, water management, public health, and disaster preparedness. Implementation is hindered by financial constraints, institutional coordination gaps, and security risks posed by the conflict with Al-Shabaab, which prevents officials from accessing certain regions to implement adaptation measures.

• Somalia is ranked as the second most climate-vulnerable country globally according to the ND-GAIN index, despite contributing less than 0.03% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, estimated at 53.70 MtCO2.
• The country is experiencing its most severe drought in 40 years, characterized by four consecutive failed rainy seasons in 2022, which displaced 7.8 million people and created a humanitarian crisis where approximately half the population will require assistance in 2023.
• The Somali government is prioritizing adaptation through its 2021 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the development of a National Adaptation Plan (NAP), focusing on four key areas for 2021-2030: agriculture and food security, water resources management and public health, and disaster preparedness and management.
• In August 2022, the government created the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) to lead sustainable development and climate resilience, and in February 2023, the cabinet passed a draft of the first national environmental protection act.
• Adaptation efforts are severely obstructed by financial constraints, lack of institutional coordination, and security risks from the long-term conflict with Al-Shabaab, which prevents government officials from visiting certain regions to install infrastructure like water catchments.

APA

World Resources Institute (2023). Profiles of Adaptation: Somalia. https://www.wri.org/update/profiles-adaptation-somalia

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Profiles of Adaptation: Somalia. 2023. https://www.wri.org/update/profiles-adaptation-somalia.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Profiles of Adaptation: Somalia |date=18 April 2023 |url=https://www.wri.org/update/profiles-adaptation-somalia |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2023profiles, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Profiles of Adaptation: Somalia}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://www.wri.org/update/profiles-adaptation-somalia}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }