World Ecology Day

 Ethiopia ranks as the fourth highest at-risk country in the impact of natural events indicator , with over 80 per cent of its population residing in very high risk areas. The country’s geography and climate make it particularly vulnerable to droughts , floods , and other environmental shocks , which intersect with existing challenges such as food insecurity, conflict, and poverty. These compounding risks affect communities across both rural and urban areas, straining livelihoods, infrastructure, and essential services. The country’s risk profile is shaped by a combination of factors, including extensive reliance on rain-fed agriculture, high levels of land degradation , rapid population growth, and limited adaptive capacity. Ethiopia has faced recurrent droughts that devastate agricultural production and livestock, leading to widespread displacement and heightened food insecurity. Flooding, particularly in river basins and low-lying areas, further threatens already fragile ecosys...

  The ETR impact of natural events indicator measures how dangerous climate-related disasters – such as floods, storms, or heatwaves – are likely to be for populations. It accounts not only for the severity of environmental hazards but also for how many people are exposed and how well they are able to cope. The measure combines three elements at the subnational level: climate risk , population density , and poverty levels . This approach recognises that the consequences of natural hazards are shaped both by the scale of exposure and by the resources available to respond. Hazardous natural events have caused over 260 million internal displacements worldwide since 2015. The number of such movements has grown over this period, driven partly by more frequent and intense hazards but also by stronger national reporting and improved global monitoring. In 2024 alone, natural hazards caused 45 million displacements across 163 countries – the highest annual total since at least 2008 . ...

  Somalia has consistently recorded the highest levels of food insecurity globally between 2019 and 2024. These persistently high levels reflect the interaction of ecological stress, climatic extremes, conflict and chronic governance gaps . Recurrent droughts, erratic rainfall, and flooding have disrupted ecosystems and livelihoods. This has been further aggravated by ongoing conflict since the late 1980s. Dependence on rain-fed agriculture and livestock leaves the country highly vulnerable to rainfall variability. Repeated climate shocks have reduced crop yields, undermined livestock health, and depleted water sources, heightening vulnerability among farming and pastoralist households. These pressures are compounded by conflict, displacement, and disrupted markets, all of which limit access to food and humanitarian aid. Conflict in Somalia has also accelerated environmental decline. For example, the country’s mostly arid rangelands and scrub-savanna rely on hardy acacia tree...