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Tekeze/Atbara Basin Trans-Boundary

Civil Society Engagement (Kassala)

Workshop - 18-21/03/2007

ERI-NDF

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Eritrean ProfileEritrean Profile

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Eritrea is located in the Horn of Africa with bordering Red Sea on the East, Sudan on West and North, Djibouti and Ethiopia on the South.

1. Location Map of the Country

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2. Area and Population

• Geographic Coordination: 12 and 18 degrees North Lat.

36 and 44 degrees East Long.

• Area: Covers an area of 124,000 sq.kms.• Population: Estimated population is 3.6 million. • The country is endowed with a longest coastline of over

1,000 kms. relative to its size in Africa.• It is a home to some of the world’s finest marine life. • Gained independence on May 24, 1991 after 30 years of

bitter struggle for liberation. • Nationalities: Tigrigna, Tigre, Saho, Bilen,

Kunama ,Nara,Afar, Rashida and Hidareb• Language: There are nine ethnic Groups each with their

own languages: Tigrigna, Tigre, Saho, Bilen, Kunama ,Nara,Afar, Arabic and Hidareb

• Official Language: Tigrigna and Arabic

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• Religion: Christians and Moslems• Port: Massawa and Assab• Capital city: Asmara with a population of 400,000• Economy: Subsistence agriculture with over 70%

involve in farming• GDP composition by sector: Agriculture 18%,

Industry 20%, Service 62 %• Currency: Nakfa• Flag: The flag’s colors are green, red and blue. A

gold lawrel wreath and olive branch running up its center is positioned in the red portion , which is the dominant color

• Emblem/Symbol: The camel encircled by an olive wreath.

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NRS

DebubDebub

3. Administrative Divisions (Zorbas/Province)

NRS Anseba

SRS Gash-Barka

Debub Maekel

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• Climate:• Hot arid- Coastal plains• Temperate sub-humid – isolated micro

catchments with eastern high escarpment• Total Annual rainfall: 200 mm the northern

border of the Sudan and 800 mm in southern border to Ethiopia

• Amount and distribution: unreliable• Rainfall source: Southwest monsoon

April/May September-October with the coastal area receives from the Indian Ocean

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5. Rainfall Pattern Cont…..

Azmera Season Rain (March - May) Mainly confined to the highlands and

parts of adjoining eastern escarpments (i.e., Zoba Debub, Maekel and their surrounding areas). This rain contributes to the long period growing crops such as finger millet, highland sorghum, maize and taff.

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5. Rainfall Pattern Cont…..

Kremti Season Rain (June - September)

Mainly confined to the highlands, western lowlands and

parts of adjoining eastern and escarpments. It facilitates start

of land preparation and sowing of short cycle crops and

also the ones started with Azmara Season rain.

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• The Eritrean NDF was established in 2006• It constitutes different civil society members ,CBO’s ,

Women Groups, youth, national and international NGO’s who are involved in different activities related to water and environment.

• Its General Assembly is formed from the above-mentioned members. It has a Steering Committee which is responsible to manage, follow up the developments, prepare and approve the work plan of NDF.

• The national ER-NDF office is located in Asmara in the office of TICD.

• The Forum geographically covers the Nile Basin communities of the Gash Barka Region of Eritrea and has a regional NDF committee in Barentu the capital city of Gash Barka Region.

The Eritrean NDF

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• Established the ER-NDF in April 2006 under the host institute of TICD (Toker Integrated Community Development)

• Recruited coordinator, facilitated an office and the necessary office equipment.

• Conducted workshops at national and regional levels to create awareness on the community about NDF.

• Completed its Milestone 1 programs and it is underway to implement Mile stone 2 work programs such as to conduct socio-economic survey in the two Sub-Zobas of Golge and Lalay Gash, of Gash Barka Region.

Achievements of Er NDF

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• The Nile Basin Watershed of Eritrea is geographically located in the Zoba Gash Barka particularly in the two sub Zobas of Golge and Lalay Gash and the overall overview of the Zoba is briefly stated below:

The Eritrean Nile Basin Watershed

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Maekel

Debub

Gash-Barka

Anseba

Logo Anseba

Barentu

Akurdet

Mensura

Shamuko

Mogolo

Gogne

Laelay GashGolige

Haykota

Tesseney

Forto Dghe

Map of Eritrea by Zobas

Project Sites Zoba (Province) Gash Barka

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Description of the Gash Barka Region

The Region lies in the western lowlands of Eritrea, bordering with Ethiopia in the South and with the Sudan in the west. It stretches over 200 km from north to south and from east to west at an altitude ranging between 500 and 1,500 meters above sea level. It is the largest region in Eritrea which covers 37,000 km2

Climate

• The region falls in the Sudano-Sahelian Agro Climatic zone which is mainly arid and humid lowland. • Rainfall increases from north to south ranging from below 300mm in the north western to 700mm per annum in the South east.• The mean length of the growing season varies from 75 to 120 days. • Early rains May/early June, which occur once in 5 or 6 years usually resulted in good crop, where as late rains, which occur 3-4 times in 5 or 6 years , results in crop failure.

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Hydrology

• The region is intersected by three main river systems.

• The Setit flows along the southern boundary of the Gash Barka region eventually joins the Nile

• The Gash river flows west to the Sudan

• The Barka river flows east to west through the drier northern part of the Gash which crosses the Sudan and finally empties into the Red Sea.

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Topography

• The Gash Barka Region consists of lowland plain, intersected by three major river basins. • Mountains are steep, granite rocks providing little options for crops, grazing or forestry. • Foothills extend from 20 to 30 km at the base of mountains with gentle slopes ranging from 2-12%. • Soil types range from coarse sand and gravel on the upper slopes to fine materials on the lower slopes. • Hills are cut deeply in many places by gully network and as a result sheet erosion is vividly observed in many places between the drainage lines. • Sedimentary plains are found primary in the western half of the region. • Riparian areas include riverbeds that are mostly barren sand or rock, flanked by gallery forest and woodlands that fan out into sedimentary flood plains.

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The country has six main watersheds

1. Setit Basin 4,043.70 km2

2. Mereb-gash Basin 16,726.87

3. Barka-Anseba Basin 39,506.94

4. Red Sea Basin 44,689.52

5. Danakil Depression Basin 10,532.43

6. Small catchments following to Sudan

6,986.72

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Population

Description

Household Population

Remark

12 Sub-Zoba

108,236 469,893 Male to Female Ration is 1:1

Golge 14,843 66,583 Nile Basin watershed

Lalay-Gash 14,1125 62,700 Nile Basin watershed

Total 137,204 599,176Source: MoA, Zoba Gash Barka Branch office

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Production System

• There are two main production systems in the Gash Barka region

A)• Semi-Sedentary pastoralist system in which

livestock are the main source of subsistence with crops having a secondary role. It is characterized by :-

• seasonal shifting of the homestead within the village between the reverine and upland areas.

• Reliance on live stock as the main source of livelihood

• Narrow range of crops • Herd species dominated by camels and goats • Long range migration of cattle, sheep and camels.• Crop-livestock integration is limited.

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Cont…

B) • A sedentary agro-pastoralist production system

in which crop and livestock production are of roughly equal importance. Which is characterized by;-

• Year long residence in a single site • Equal importance of livestock and crop.• Wider range of crops and better cropping skills• Heard composition dominated by cattle, sheep

and Goats • Migration of animal to upland area during the

raining season and to riverine area during the dry season

• Crop production is the source of subsistence • Moderate crop-livestock integration.

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Horticultural Farming System

• Intensive commercial gardening along the major rivers

• Grow mainly banana vegetables and forage crops

• The degree of crop-livestock integration is higher than the other production systems

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Crop Production

Year Gash Barka region Tekeze Basins( Golig + Lalay Gash)

Area (ha)

Production (ton)

Area (ha) Production (ton)

2002 149,425 24,193 68,934(46%)

15,898(65%)

2003 221,445 83,648 76,956(35%)

39,428(47%)

2004 214,375 46,808 80,169(57%)

36,576(78%)

2005 253,972 218,490 88,713(35%)

89,298(68%)

2006 252,520 130,756 90,956(36%)

42,935(35%)

Mean 218,347 98,201 81,145(37%)

44,827(46%)

Cultivated area, production and share of Tekeze basins in the region taking five production years (2002-2006) looks as follows:-

Source: MoA, Zoba Gash Barka Branch office

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Major Crops Grown and their coverage in area and production

Crop type

Regional Tekeze Basins (Golege + Lalay Gash

Area (%) Production (%)

Area (%) Production (%)

Sorghum

74 82 76 84

Sesame

11 7 20 14

P. Millet

8.5 5 2 1.2

Others 6.5 6 2 0.8

Source: MoA, Zoba Gash Barka Branch office

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Mechanisms of crop production

• Rain fed• Supplementary irrigation

• Surface water- Diversion through gravity • Ground water- wells using pumps

Description Region Tekeze Basin(Golege + L/Gash)

Rain fed Area (ha)

Coverage(%)

Area (ha) Coverage(%)

236,520 89% 84,956 36

Supplementary

Diversion 16,000 6 6,000 37

Ground Water

13,118 5 238 1.8

Total 265,638 91,194Source: MoA, Zoba Gash Barka Branch office

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Production of Horticultural crops

Description

Regional Production

(ton)

Tekeze Basins (Golege + L/Gash)

(ton)

Vegetables

47,976 377 0.78%

Fruits 67,567 49 0.07%

Total 115,543 426 0.36%Source: MoA, Zoba Gash Barka Branch office

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Livestock Production

Type of livestock

Total population

Percentage(%)

Tekeze Basins (Golege + L/Gash)

(ton)

Cattle 1,189,995 31 271,061 23%

Sheep 775,895 21 171,892 22%

Goats 1,209,130 32 176,752 15%

Camel 157,449 4 26,437 17%

Donkey 117,401 3 14,101 12%

Poultry 319,710 9 65,992 20%

Total 3,769,580 726,235 19%

Livestock population and Composition

Source: MoA, Zoba Gash Barka Branch office

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Potential Resources of Tekeze Basin

• The area receives maximum rainfall per annum (500-700 mm) in the lowlands

• It has a number of river streams and large area of arable land which can grow different type of crops such as Sorghum, Sesame, Pearl millet etc.

• It has biodiversity vegetation cover mainly:- Acacia Senegal, Balanites aegyptica, Tamarindus

indica, Zizyiphus spina-christa, Acacia mollifera, etc. • It is endowed with different wild animals such as

elephants, gazelles, tigers, lions, etc.• The area is a source for animal feed particularly during

the dry season of the year.

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Challenges

• High forest destruction due to human intervention and other factors

• Decline of production due to soil erosion and traditional production system

• High crop/livestock integration: -The situation of rangeland is declining from time

to time due to the expansion of agriculture and arise conflict of interest among crop producers and pastoralists

- The Tekeze River does not accommodate the settlers only, but in addition many herders from different direction of the country migrate and spent most parts of the year in this area.

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Recommendation

• Create awareness on the community through different communication channels

• Carry out organized afforestation programs, introduce alternative means of energy (like smokeless stove)

• Carry out proper pre-plant cultural practices • Identify and allocate land for livestock and crop

production• Develop water points in the remote areas for livestock

and wild animals • Introduce intensive forage and fodder production as

well as establish temporary and permanent enclosures • Identify and protect the specific wild animal sites• Develop Horticultural crop production in the river

banks through construction of wells• Introduce income generating programs by facilitating

credit activities

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