Investigating The Long-Term Impacts Of Drought On Agriculture In Jowhar, Somalia
Dr. Fatima Mohamed Abdullahi
Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Mogadishu, Somalia
Dr. Hassan Ali Jama
Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Mogadishu, Somalia
Abstract
Drought is a recurring natural phenomenon with significant global impacts. Various regions around the world, including India, Israel, southern Africa, and parts of China, experience drought events at different intervals. In some cases, like the North China Plain, droughts have occurred frequently, with 35 reported instances over the past four decades. Both Australia and the United States have faced severe droughts in recent years, with California enduring prolonged periods of low precipitation from 1987 to 1992, and Australia experiencing only one drought-free year in a five-year span. Northeastern Brazil is particularly susceptible to droughts, occurring approximately every four years and often accompanied by flooding. Drought events have had severe consequences, resulting in loss of life and economic disruptions on densely populated continents. For instance, between 1985 and 1988, an estimated 28 million people were affected by drought in India, although Africa has been arguably the most severely impacted region.