Page 13 - FMR64_Trafficking and smuggling & Climate crisis and local communities_2020_web

FMR 64 Climate crisis and local communities 13

June 2020 www.fmreview.org/issue64

Community strategies for diversification in Ethiopia

Pablo Cortés Ferrández
The 2015–17 drought in the Horn of Africa displaced more than 300,000 pastoralists in the
eastern part of the Somali region of Ethiopia. Many who lost their livestock have instead
engaged in grassroots action to improve livelihoods recovery and to build resilience.
For the pastoral communities in the Dollo in protracted displacement, with scarce
zone of Ethiopia’s Somali region, the 2015–17 opportunities for self-reliance and local
drought was the worst in living memory. integration. “It is a feeling of hopelessness.
“We have never experienced a drought of You have no means of livelihood. You don’t
this kind. … Around nine years ago, we have any other support and you are the
suffered one, but it was not as severe as this responsible person in your family. We came
one because we kept a considerable number with nothing,” explained a male pastoralist
of animals alive. In the [2015–17] drought, in Gafow. Food insecurity and lack of access
two consecutive rainy seasons failed … and to drinking water and health care are the
we lost all our animals,” explained a 40-year- main challenges. Displaced pastoralists
old pastoralist who, since 2017, has been live in temporary settlements in relatively
living with her husband and seven children underdeveloped and marginalised settings
in a temporary shelter at the Koracle site where their peri-urban host communities
for internally displaced people (IDPs). 1 also experience precarious socio-economic
Pastoralism is the main livelihood of situations – including chronic malnutrition,
communities in the drylands of southern limited access to basic social services and
Ethiopia, and families are very vulnerable to economic infrastructure, poor livelihood
displacement associated with climate change. opportunities and a diminishing natural
As at the end of July 2019, 425,000 people resource base. Consecutive years of drought
were living in displacement associated with and profound food insecurity have severely
drought. Nearly 94% of households in Gafow depleted communities’ coping mechanisms and
2
and Koracle IDP sites defined their lifestyle resilience at a time when they are most needed.
before displacement as nomadic pastoralism
but during the latest drought households lost Livelihoods recovery and resilience building
up to 80% of their livestock. As a result of the In the Somali region, where communities
repeated shocks, local authorities in Dollo zone affected by displacement are highly dependent
estimate that the proportion of pastoralists in on aid, resilience building is one of the main
the area has decreased from around 80% to 20%. priorities of local actors, where committees
Alongside movement of people has also of IDPs and host community grassroots
come huge and early movement of livestock, as organisations are keen to develop diversified
pastoralists move their animals from areas with and sustainable livelihoods. During interviews,
low rainfall to areas of higher rainfall. Districts IDPs and host community representatives
with higher rainfall levels are experiencing high proposed the creation of a diversification
grazing pressure, leading to fears of pasture framework to support a livelihoods resilience
and water depletion. Many pastoralists face approach. This framework would be designed
challenges because of the high vulnerability to identify gaps related to skills and economic
of prevailing livelihoods, low productivity, activities, and then to support households
and limited market links, diversification to find individual and community-focused
opportunities and social and economic services. solutions which are appropriate to the local
Loss of livestock is forcing people to adapt. context. The focus would be on providing
Both camps in the case-study, Gafow and training in vocational skills and capacity
Koracle, were opened in January 2017, and building, plus start-up capital, for IDPs
IDPs displaced by drought are now living displaced by drought and especially for