Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) for Enhancing Livelihood Resilience, Food Security and Climate Adaptation in Somalia
Ir Abdulaziz Mohamed Abdullahi
ABSTRACT
This paper examines the potential of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) to strengthen resilient livelihoods in Somalia by integrating community-based approaches—particularly Farmer Field Schools (FFS), Agro-Pastoral Field Schools (APFS), and Community-Managed Disaster Risk Reduction Committees (CM-DRR). Drawing on a mixed-methods design combining participatory case studies from three agro-pastoral regions, household surveys (n ≈ 180), and key informant interviews with local leaders and extension agents, the study assesses CSA interventions’ effects on adaptive capacity, food security, and livelihood diversification. Results indicate that participatory CSA practices (soil and water conservation, drought-tolerant crop introduction, integrated rangeland-livestock management, and low cost water harvesting) significantly improved seasonal yield stability and reduced reported food insecurity episodes among participating households relative to matched nonparticipant controls. Social outcomes included stronger local knowledge exchange networks and enhanced collective early-warning responses mediated by CM-DRR committees. Barriers identified were limited access to quality inputs, weak extension reach, and policy gaps in land-and-pasture governance. The paper concludes that scalable CSA models in Somalia require combining technical interventions with community-driven capacity building, formalizing local institutions, and aligning donor support with national adaptation priorities. Recommendations emphasize context-sensitive FFS/APFS scaling, investment in local extension systems, and policy reforms to secure pastoral commons as essential steps for disaster-resilient livelihoods.
