BACKGROUND

Djibouti, one of the smallest countries in Africa, is located in the Horn of Africa along the Gulf of Aden and at the southern entrance of the Red Sea. It has an arid semi-desert climate, except for the mountainous region in the north of the country. It has two distinct seasons, a cool season with mild temperatures and high humidity and a hot, dry season. Djibouti generally has high temperatures and high evaporation year-round. Environmental hazards in the country include cyclical drought, intense winds, and heavy rainfall which can lead to flash floods. Natural disaster events can be exacerbated by water scarcity, adverse water management, and adverse land-use planning.

It is a resource-scarce country, importing up to 90 percent of its food, which makes it highly susceptible to fluctuation in the global market. Although it has a growing economy, 42 percent of the population lives in poverty. A majority of the country’s population resides in urban areas. By 2050, it is expected that 85 percent of people will live in urban areas. Djibouti is considered highly vulnerable to climate change and is expected to suffer adverse impacts due to rising temperatures, increasing aridity, increasing sea levels, and decreased precipitation.

INFORM RISK INDEX (2022)    

Hazard and exposure: 3.8  |  Vulnerability: 6.1  |  Lack of coping capacity: 6.1 |  Total: 5.2 (high)  |  Rank: 38

HAZARDS COVERED BY ANTICIPATION    

Drought | Insect infestation (Desert locust)

EXPERIENCE ON ANTICIPATION 

• In response to a desert locust outbreak that spread across the greater Horn of Africa and Yemen in late 2019, FAO set up anticipatory action to avoid an escalating crisis. Between January 2020 and January 2022, $243 million were mobilized to set up anticipatory actions, including ground and aerial operations to control the infestation. Across the whole region, FAO reported having protected 41.5 million people from food insecurity.

ANTICIPATION PARTNERS IN COUNTRY

• WFP
• FAO
• National Meteorological Services
• General Secretariat for Disaster Risk Management (SEGRC)
• Ministry of Agriculture
• Ministry of Social Affairs