Communicating weather and climate information to smallholder farmers in resource-poor climate-vulnerable southern Somalia: a social science inquiry

Southern Somalia contends with various environmental challenges, all of which negatively impact the smallholder farmers in the region. This study highlights that the effectiveness and usability of weather and climate information can be optimized if the information is channelled through locally relevant and culturally appropriate boundary organizations and boundary spanners. Using the interviews of sixty smallholder farmers in the Gedo, Lower Juba, and Lower Shabelle regions of southern Somalia, this study indicates that most of the farmers do not receive any critical weather and climate-related information; however, the situation can be improved using a clan-based dissemination approach. Despite its geographical relevance, the insights from this study are relevant to other contexts, facing similar social, ecological, economic, and political challenges.