Updates and Articles

Super El Niño_Lower Shabelle Region, Somalia

English11 September 2026

This research brief examines the catastrophic flood risks facing smallholder farmers in Golweyn and the Lower Shabelle riverine corridor during the October–December 2026 Deyr season. Driven by a rare convergence of a strong El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, the forecasted rains threaten critical tomato and sesame crops across an already fragile irrigation system. Author Mohamud Jibril analyzes crop-specific agronomic vulnerabilities, socioeconomic spillover risks, and essential pre-rain interventions—such as canal rehabilitation, anticipatory financing, and field-level drainage—requi

General

HISTORY AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN SOMALIA

English8 September 2026

Agriculture supports the lives of most people in Somalia. Crop farming and livestock keeping provide food, income, clothing, and shelter. A large share of the Somali population lives in rural areas and depends on farming and pastoralism. Livestock such as camels, cattle, goats, and sheep form the backbone of the Somali economy through meat, milk, and exports. Crop production in riverine areas along the Juba and Shabelle rivers provides maize, sorghum, sesame, fruits, and vegetables.