Photo: Mohamed Amin Jibril/IRIN Drought has exerted a heavy toll on the population: At least 60 percent of people In Somaliland raise livestock for a living

The human and environmental disruption wreaked by drought in Somaliland, where more than 60 percent of people raise livestock for a living, means the self-declared, but barely recognized, independent state should draw up its own plan for climate change adaptation, according to a new report.

The Impact of Climate Change on Pastoral Societies of Somaliland, by Candle Light, a Somali NGO promoting sustainable development, focused its research on an area particularly vulnerable to climate change, the semi-arid Haud region, which runs from Hargeisa’s airport to the Ethiopian border, 70km to the south.

Combating climate change requires investment in soil conservation, water harvesting, reforestation and restoration of grazing. Candle Light emphasized the need to develop scenarios for the impact of climate change on grasslands, vegetation and agricultural production.

It also suggested a more efficient use of water, and creating plans for equitable water sharing that target the specific needs of pastoralists and farmers; trade-offs involving water should be carefully assessed and discussed to avoid conflict.

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