A severe drought, worsened by climate change, is driving pastoralists in Ethiopia’s Somali region to abandon traditional herding lifestyles in favor of urban labor, leading to significant shifts in their livelihoods. Former pastoralists express emotional ties to their traditional way of life and struggle with the demands of new jobs, reflecting the broader impacts of climate change on their identities and futures. Drought and climate change across Somali region’s drylands is forcing many, like Ahmed, to seek alternative livelihoods in farming, petty trade (selling milk, clothing, shoes, etc.) In the Somali region, approximately 3.5 million pastoralists — 55% of the population — have seen their livelihoods severely threatened. Before the drought, Ahmed relied entirely on his herd of cows, goats and camels for his family’s livelihood.

Source: Ethiopian News October 09, 2024 16:16 UTC