Tekeze/Atbara Basin Trans Boundary Civil Society Engagement (Kassala) Workshop - 18-21/03/2007 ERI-NDF

March 18-21/03/2007 1

March 18-21/03/2007

Eritrean Profile

2

1. Location Map of the

on the East, Sudan on West and North, Djibouti and Ethiopia on the South.

March 18-21/03/2007 3

2. Area and Population

•

Geographic Coordination:

12 and 18 degrees North Lat.

• • • •

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, 36 and 44 degrees East Long.

Tigre, ,Nara,Afar, Rashida and Hidareb Saho, Bilen, Kunama

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 March 18-21/03/2007 4

• • • • • • • •

Religion:

Christians and Moslems

Port:

Massawa and Assab

Capital city:

Asmara with a population of 400,000

Economy:

in farming Subsistence agriculture with over 70% involve

GDP composition by sector:

20%, Service 62 % Agriculture 18%, Industry

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.

March 18-21/03/2007 5

3. Administrative Divisions (Zorbas/Province)

NRS

NRS

SRS Debub Anseba Gash-Barka Maekel

March 18-21/03/2007 6

•

• • • • •

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 March 18-21/03/2007 7

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.

March 18-21/03/2007 8

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 .

March 18-21/03/2007 9

The Eritrean NDF

• • • • •

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.

March 18-21/03/2007 10

Achievements of Er NDF

•

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.

March 18-21/03/2007 11

The Eritrean Nile Basin Watershed

•

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:

March 18-21/03/2007 12

Anseba No rther n Red Sea Gash-Barka Maekel Debub Map of Eritrea by Zobas Sou ther n Red Sea Project Sites Zoba (Province) Gash Barka Forto Tesseney Haykota Dghe Akurdet Mensura Logo Anseba Mogolo Gogne Barentu Shamuko Golige Laelay Gash

March 18-21/03/2007 13

March 18-21/03/2007 14

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 .

March 18-21/03/2007 15

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. March 18-21/03/2007 16

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.

March 18-21/03/2007 17

The country has six main watersheds

1. Setit Basin 2. Mereb-gash Basin 3. Barka-Anseba Basin 4. Red Sea Basin 5. Danakil Depression Basin 6. Small catchments following to Sudan 4,043.70

16,726.87

39,506.94

44,689.52

10,532.43

6,986.72

km 2

March 18-21/03/2007 18

Population Description

12 Sub-Zoba Golge Lalay-Gash

Household

108,236 14,843 14,1125

Population

469,893 66,583 62,700

Remark

Male to Female Ration is 1:1 Nile Basin watershed Nile Basin watershed

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

March 18-21/03/2007 19

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.

March 18-21/03/2007 20

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.

March 18-21/03/2007 21

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

March 18-21/03/2007 22

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

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Gash Barka region Area (ha)

149,425 221,445 214,375 253,972 252,520

218,347

March 18-21/03/2007

Production (ton)

24,193 83,648 46,808 218,490 130,756

98,201 Tekeze Basins( Golig + Lalay Gash) Area (ha) Production (ton)

68,934(46%) 15,898(65%) 76,956(35%) 80,169(57%) 39,428(47%) 36,576(78%) 88,713(35%) 90,956(36%)

81,145(37%)

89,298(68%) 42,935(35%)

44,827(46%)

23

Major Crops Grown and their coverage in area and production

Crop type Regional Sorghu m Sesame Area (%) 74 11 Production (%) 82 7 P. Millet 8.5

Source: MoA, Zoba Gash Barka Branch office Others 6.5

5 6 Tekeze Basins (Golege + Lalay Gash Area (%) Production (%) 76 20 2 2 84 14 1.2

0.8

March 18-21/03/2007 24

Mechanisms of crop production

• •

Rain fed Supplementary irrigation

•

Surface water- Diversion through gravity

•

Ground water- wells using pumps Description Rain fed Diversion Ground Water Area (ha) 236,520 Region Coverage( %) Tekeze Basin(Golege + L/Gash) Area (ha) 89% Supplementary 84,956 Coverage(%) 36 16,000 6 6,000 37

March 18-21/03/2007

13,118 265,638 5 238 91,194 1.8

25

Production of Horticultural crops

Descriptio n Regional Production (ton) 47,976 Vegetables Fruits 67,567 Total 115,543 Source: MoA, Zoba Gash Barka Branch office Tekeze Basins (Golege + L/Gash) (ton) 377 49 426 0.78% 0.07% 0.36%

March 18-21/03/2007 26

Livestock Production

Livestock population and Composition Type of livestock Cattle Total population 1,189,995 Percentage( %) 31 Tekeze Basins (Golege + L/Gash) (ton) 271,061 23% Sheep Goats Camel Donkey Poultry Total 775,895 1,209,130 157,449 117,401 319,710 3,769,580 21 32 4 3 9 171,892 176,752 26,437 14,101 65,992 726,235 22% 15% 17% 12% 20% 19% Source: MoA, Zoba Gash Barka Branch office

March 18-21/03/2007 27

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. March 18-21/03/2007 28

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. March 18-21/03/2007 29

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 March 18-21/03/2007 30

March 18-21/03/2007 31