Household Socio-Demographics, Climate Change Perceptions, and Food Security in Agro-Pastoral Somaliland: Evidence from Rural Arabsiyo District
Published in Earth & Environment and Agricultural & Food Science
Climate change and food insecurity remain major challenges for rural agro-pastoral communities in Somaliland. Unpredictable rainfall, rising temperatures, declining agricultural productivity, and limited market access continue to place pressure on household livelihoods.
These challenges motivated our recently published study, “Household Socio-Demographics, Climate Change Perceptions, and Food Security in Agro-Pastoral Somaliland: Evidence from Rural Arabsiyo District,” published in SN Social Sciences (Springer Nature).
Why did we undertake this study?
Although previous research has explored climate variability and agricultural livelihoods in Somaliland, limited evidence combines household food security, socio-demographic characteristics, community climate perceptions, and long-term observed climate trends.
Our study aimed to understand how food insecurity relates to household characteristics and how communities' perceptions of climate change correspond with observed climatic patterns.
How did we conduct the research?
We employed a mixed-methods approach involving 114 agro-pastoral households across three villages in Arabsiyo District, Somaliland. Data were collected through household surveys, nine key informant interviews, and field observations.
Food insecurity was assessed using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). We also analyzed rainfall and temperature records from 1991–2023 using CHIRPS and ERA5-Land datasets, alongside cereal-production records from 2010–2024.
What did we discover?
Our findings revealed substantial household food insecurity:
-
80.7% of households experienced moderate or severe food insecurity.
-
74.6% were moderately food insecure.
-
Only 19.3% were food secure.
Community perceptions also revealed widespread concern about climatic and agricultural changes:
-
90.4% reported frequent droughts and floods.
-
89.5% perceived changes in temperature patterns.
-
86.0% reported declining crop yields and staple-food availability.
-
86.8% reported reduced livestock productivity.
-
93.9% reported that reduced farm productivity negatively affected household income.
Importantly, long-term climate records confirmed a statistically significant warming trend of approximately 0.17°C per decade, while rainfall exhibited considerable variability without a statistically significant long-term directional trend.
What factors were associated with food security?
Market accessibility and marital status showed statistically significant associations with household food security. Notably, none of the households reporting market-access challenges were classified as food secure.
Education showed a weaker association that was sensitive to the statistical test applied.
Why does this research matter?
Our findings demonstrate that food insecurity cannot be understood through climate change alone. Household socio-economic conditions, market accessibility, agricultural productivity, and climatic pressures interact to shape rural vulnerability.
Strengthening food security therefore requires integrated approaches that improve rural market access, promote climate-resilient agriculture, strengthen water management, and expand access to climate information and livelihood opportunities.
More broadly, this research contributes locally grounded evidence from Somaliland to international discussions on climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and household food security in drought-prone regions.
Read the full article:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-026-01826-6
Published in SN Social Sciences (Springer Nature), 2026.
Authors: Mohamed Abdullahi Omer and Mabsoud Elmi Mawlid.
Follow the Topic
-
SN Social Sciences
This is a multi- and interdisciplinary journal serving the Social Sciences community.
Related Collections
With Collections, you can get published faster and increase your visibility.
- SDG 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries
We are calling for articles to our new Collection on Reduced inequalities, in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goal: SDG 10. This collection creates a cross-disciplinary space for researchers and stakeholders working across various disciplines to address this significant global issue. We bring together scholarship and policy that makes a difference to reducing inequalities for a sustainable future. SDG 10 aims to reduce inequality within and among countries. Inequality threatens long-term social and economic development, harms poverty reduction and destroys people’s sense of fulfillment and self-worth. The pandemic has caused the largest rise in between-country inequality in three decades. Reducing both within- and between-country inequality requires equitable resource distribution, investing in education and skills development, implementing social protection measures, combating discrimination, supporting marginalized groups and fostering international cooperation for fair trade and financial systems.
We are welcoming a range of perspectives including theoretical, methodological, quantitative and qualitative studies. Original Research and Review Papers are accepted. We are particularly interested in research that centers on the following topics:
- By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average
- By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
- Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard
- Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality
- Improve the regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions and strengthen the implementation of such regulations
- Ensure enhanced representation and voice for developing countries in decision-making in global international economic and financial institutions in order to deliver more effective, credible, accountable and legitimate institutions
- Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies
- Implement the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, in accordance with World Trade Organization agreements
- Encourage official development assistance and financial flows, including foreign direct investment, to States where the need is greatest, in particular least developed countries, African countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their national plans and programmes
- By 2030, reduce to less than 3 per cent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 per cent
We are interested to hear your ideas for short commentary or a collection of articles, please contact the journal of your choice directly to discuss this before submitting.
Submission Procedure:
Submission is possible to one of the participating journals on the right, please select TC: SDG10 - Reduced Inequalities in the electronic submission portal. Accepted articles will be published in the respective journal, as well as highlighted on the Collection page.
Publishing Model: Hybrid
Deadline: Dec 31, 2030
- SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
We are calling for articles to our new Collection on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goal: SDG 16. This collection creates a cross-disciplinary space for researchers and stakeholders working across various disciplines to address this significant global issue. We bring together scholarship and policy that focuses on the integral role of peace, justice and strong institutions in society.
Goal 16 is about promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. People everywhere should be free of fear from all forms of violence and feel safe as they go about their lives whatever their ethnicity, faith or sexual orientation. Governments, civil society and communities need to work together to find lasting solutions to conflict and insecurity. Strengthening the rule of law and promoting human rights is key to this process, as is reducing the flow of illicit arms, combating corruption, and ensuring inclusive participation at all times.
We are welcoming a range of perspectives including theoretical, methodological, quantitative and qualitative studies. Original Research and Review Papers are accepted. We are specifically interested in research that advances understanding on:
- Significantly reducing all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere
- Ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children
- Promoting the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all
- By 2030, the significant reduction of illicit financial and arms flows, strengthening the recovery and return of stolen assets and combatting all forms of organized crime
- The substantial reduction of corruption and bribery in all their forms
- Developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels
- Ensuring responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels
- Broadening and strengthening the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance
- By 2030, the provision of legal identity for all, including birth registration
- Ensuring public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements
- Strengthening relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime
- The promotion and enforcement of non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development
We are interested to hear your ideas for short commentary or a collection of articles, please contact the journal of your choice directly to discuss this before submitting.
Submission Procedure:
Submission is possible to one of the participating journals on the right, please select TC: SDG16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions in the electronic submission portal. Accepted articles will be published in the respective journal, as well as highlighted on the Collection page.
Publishing Model: Hybrid
Deadline: Dec 31, 2030
