Climate, the Resource Base and Land Use Systems .1 Climate

The climate of the Afar region is semi-arid and arid, with the aridity increasing from west to east. Temperature is inversely related to altitude, with mean annual temperatures of 22°C to 27°C (ANRS, 2004b:14). In areas like the Danakil Depression, the temperature usually reaches up to 50°C. Rainfall ranges from 100 to 700mm with most parts of the Region receiving an annual rainfall of less than 300mm (MCE, 2001:3). 60% of the annual rainfall is received in July-September, and another 20% in March-April. The remaining months of the year are dry leaving the Afar pastoralists dependent on the Awash River for water resources, and opportunistic cultivation along the banks of the River (Yacob et al., 2000:12). According to the “woody biomass inventory and strategic planning study” (ANRS, 2004b:14), the Region has three major rainfall distribution patterns. These include:

i. Low overall and extremely erratic rainfall (less than 200mm per annum) with a peak during October to March (Gilel) as exemplified by the pattern at Tendaho. This pattern is found in the eastern part of the region.

ii. Moderate and erratic rainfall (less than 500mm per annum) with a single peak between June and September as exemplified by the pattern at Gewane. This pattern is found just west of the previous pattern.

iii. Slightly higher and less erratic rainfall with a double peak: a low peak which occurs between March and May (Sugum), and a second and pronounced peak which occurs between July and September (Karma) as exemplified by Bati, Eliwaha and to a lesser extent Awash. The Sugum rains are more reliable in the central and northern areas, and nearer to the Eastern Escarpment.

Generally rainfall is erratic and scarce in the Region. Due to this, the region has frequently experienced recurrent drought, and is classified as one of the drought prone regions of Ethiopia.

5.1.2 Natural Resources Base

The Afar land covers 10% of the total area of the country and 29% of the pastoral lowlands (Yirgalem, 2001:5). One of the hottest areas in the world is found in the Afar Region. Though most of the Region is arid and semi-arid, it is able to support the population of the Afar pastoralists mainly due to the presence of the large and permanent Awash river which is the life-belt to the Afar people and their livestock population. Moreover, most of the large-scale farms in the Region and subsistence irrigated crop cultivation have been possible due to the Awash River.

Some studies have indicated the presence of other natural resources including 18 perennial and 19 seasonal rivers, 26 major forest sites, 17 lakes and a number of mineral sites (Yacob et al., 2000:11; MCE, 2001). Natural resources such as water and forage vegetation play a key role in providing fodder and water points for livestock production in the Region. The wetlands, which are found along the Awash River, are classified as seasonal swamps and marshy areas. The seasonal swamps found in Zones 2, 3 and 4 serve as dry season grazing areas (MCE, 2001:43). The Awash River floods the Afar land during the months of July to September due to the heavy rainfall in the head water areas. Pastoralists move away from the flood plains usually to the escarpments on the west or to the Alledeghi plain on the east.

When the main rain stops in the highlands and floods recede to the banks of the Awash River, the Afar move down to the flood plains to provide their livestock with flash grass and abundant water resources. Therefore, the traditional Afar pastoralism is sustained by pastoralists’ oscillation between the flood plains and the wet season grazing territories away from the flood plains and river banks (Yacob et al., 2001:12). However, over the past decades this pattern of mobility has been affected by a number of external and internal factors. We will be back to this issue in section 5.2.4 below.

The vegetation types, which are the main stay of the pastoral livestock economy, comprise riverine woodland, bushland, shrubland and grassland. Currently livestock get their feed from bushland, shrublands, riverine forests, grassland and seasonal marshes and swamps (MCE, 2001). However, “land use and vegetation cover survey” carried out by Afar rangelands and water development study estimated that 70 % of the region is barrenland¹²⁵ and only slightly less than 30% of the area is considered potentially productive rangeland (MCE, 2001:44).

This implies the limited feed resources from these areas, given the increase in livestock population and human population. The same study also identified the extent of the potential grazing and browsing areas in the Region and this is presented in table 5.1 below.

125 Different sources (studies) provided varying percentage figures for barrenland. For instance MCE (2001:44) provided 70%; the woody biomass inventory and strategic planning study (ANRS, 2004b:14) provided 50%, and Land Resources Inventory (1999) provided 63.67%. Most of the percentage figures fall between 50% and 70%.

Therefore the figure, which is provided by Land Resources Inventory, seems to be the best estimate.

Table 5.1 Potential of the Region in Relation to Range Development

Description Extent of each Unit (ha) % of the region Potential for grazing and browsing 1,517,524 16.50

Potential for grazing 725,062 7.88

Potential for irrigated pasture 87,569 0.95

Potential for seasonal grazing 151,320 1.65

Potential for crop production 208,966 2.27

Un-utilizable land 6,505,559 70.75

Total region 9,196,000 100

Source: MCE, 2001: p.44.

5.1.3 Vegetation and Land cover

The major land cover patterns are closely related to patterns of rainfall and temperature, with local variations due to soil and drainage factors. In the southern and central parts of the western piedmont hills and plains, dense shrubland/woodland changes to open shrubland with decreasing altitude and rainfall. To the north with decreasing rainfall in Zones 2 and 4 the vegetation is lower and less dense (ANRS, 2004b:16).

Along the middle Awash River floodplain dense riverine woodland and swamp are found where it has not been cleared for irrigated agriculture. Below Dubti where the Awash River divides into a number of distributaries to form the Awash delta, a mosaic of dense woodland, permanent and seasonal swamps occur. Much of this has been reclaimed for irrigated agriculture (ANRS, 2004b:16).

The riverine plains and interfluves of the Mile, Logiya, and Uwa Rivers in the West-Central Plains; Mile, Chifra, Ewa and Gulina Woredas in Zones 1 and 4 have extensive areas of grassland. Extensive areas of grasslands also occur on the wide sand grabens and plains in Amibara and Gewane Woredas of Zone 3 (ANRS, 2004b:16).

The “woody biomass inventory and strategic planning study” has identified areas of land cover types in the Region. The major types and their percentages of the Zones and of the Region are indicated in table 5.2 below.

Table 5.2 Dominant Land Cover Types as percent of Total Zonal Area¹²⁶

Source: Afar National Regional State (ANRS), 2004b, p.19.

The Afar rangelands and water development study also reported that “almost all the land in the Afar region is classified as rangeland¹²⁷ which serves as a source of forage for the livestock” (MCE, 2001:8). As depicted in the table 5.2 above some 50 percent of the Region is covered with bare soil, sand or rock, with 32 percent in shrubland and 15 percent in grassland. In the eastern part of the Region much of this grassland comprises annual grasses, so that much of the year bare soil is the dominant land cover (ANRS, 2004b:18).

5.1.4 Rural Land Use systems

The “woody biomass inventory and strategic planning study” (ANRS, 2004b:25) identified four rural land use systems in the Afar Region. These include pastoralism, agro-pastoral systems based on rainfed and irrigated agriculture, and sedentary agriculture. Each of these systems is briefly described as follows:

i. Sedentary agriculture (growing maize and sorghum): Its main distinguishing feature is the production of nearly all crops from seeds. The crops are mainly cereals, pulses and oil crops. Livestock holdings are comparatively very small (less than 6TLUs per family).

Herd splitting does not generally occur. There is little or no movement of livestock (ANRS, 2004b:25).

ii. Agro-pastoral agriculture based on rainfed agriculture (cultivating maize and sorghum).

Livestock holdings are large (average of 23 TLUs per family). Herd splitting occurs.

Livestock movements can occur over long distances in search of grazing and browse.

Camels travel the furthest because of their ability to go for long periods without water.

The “dry” cattle herds can travel long distances but must be within a maximum of three days to water. Goats and sheep generally stay within one day’s travel from the settlement, although goats have a wider feeding range than sheep because of their ability to consume

126 The “woody biomass inventory and strategic planning study” might not include small-scale traditional cultivation (rainfed or irrigated ones) from some Zones (e.g. Zones 4 and 5). For instance I was able to observe small-scale cultivation in my study community that is located in Zone 5.

127 In this case rangelands are defined as those areas with natural vegetation, which for some ecological reasons (normally low rainfall, in some cases rocky, steep or intractable soils or severe climate) are unsuitable to stable, rain-fed cultivated agriculture (MCE, 2001).

a greater portion of browse. Calves and milking cows generally stay close to the settlement (ANRS, 2004b:25).

iii. Pastoralism with no crop cultivation, and livestock holdings larger than agro-pastoral families (average of 29 TLUs per family). Herd splitting occurs. Movement of livestock for grazing and browse are the same as for the agro-pastoralists (ANRS, 2004b:25).

iv. Agro-pastoral agriculture based on irrigated agriculture in the Awash delta area (i.e.

growing maize, sorghum and sesame). Livestock holdings are very large (average of 36 TLUs per family). Herd splitting occurs. Movements of dry cattle and camels during the wet season are as far as Chifra Woreda. Sheep graze over relatively short distances along the Awash floodplain, whilst goat and camel movements occur over much larger distances (ANRS, 2004b:25).

The above systems are not spatially distinct and it is possible for one or more systems to exist within one Woreda (district). However, generally the first two systems are found away from the Awash River and the fourth is found along the Awash River in Asaita and Afambo Woredas of Zone one.

In general terms pastoral and agro-pastoral systems form the main livelihoods of the Afar population, the first being the dominant one. The overwhelming majority of the rural households (about 95 %) are pastoralists, and rely on a system where extensive livestock raising is the principal subsistence, milk as staple food. The pastoral groups sell live animals and animal products to get cash for purchasing agricultural and manufactured foods. On the other hand the agro-pastoralists in some pocket areas practise crop cultivation as subsidiary component. They cover some of their food needs from their own production and appear in the market to get supply of manufactured foods and some non-agricultural commodities (ANRS, 2003:1). The following section deals with the Afar pastoral livelihood systems and herd management strategies.