Purpose The study focuses the major practices, effects and Challenges of alternative livelihood Strategies in pastoral areas of Somali Region of Ethiopia. Background Pastoralism is the dominant livelihood in Somali region, but recurrent droughts, and floods decreased livestock productivity, food insecurity and forcing pastoralists to abandon traditional lifestyles, and seek alternative livelihood strategies solutions. The region’s pastoral and agropastoral livelihood systems are sensitive to the negative effects of climate change (Fratkin 2014), as they rely on basic natural resources like water and pastures to survive. For generations, pastoral and agropastoral households have been adapting to climatic change. However, pastoralists have recently become less adaptable to climate change and variability because of increasing tendencies towards repeated droughts, high geographical and temporal rainfall variability and existing poor socioeconomic features (Ayal & Leal Filho 2017).To cope alternative livelihood strategies have become essential. The study assessed key practices, effects and challenges of such strategies. Methodology Using a mixed -methods approach, four pastoral Livelihood zones, four districts were selected. Four kebeles per district were randomly selected, and 395 households were surveyed. Key informants’ discussions, and provided additional insights. Data were analyzed using SPSS (Version) and binary logistic regression. Result Findings showed that 95% of households relied on livestock, while 19 engaged in non-pastoral activities. About 71% adopted alternative livelihoods, with reporting benefits. However, challenges such as limited training, poor market access, inadequate loans, and high business costs hindered adoption. Household characteristics like sex, age, education, income, and livestock holdings significantly influenced adoption, while family size did not. Conclusion In summary, alternative livelihood strategies offer a path toward resilience and food security for pastoralists in the Somali Region. However, overcoming challenges like limited resources, poor infrastructure, and inadequate support systems is essential to maximize their potential benefits.

Keywords: Alternative livelihood, pastoral sustainable, Resilience