Drought mitigation strategies

[Abaq]

I am creating this thread to gather together in one place all the different drought mitigation strategies out there that have been successfully implemented abroad. Every year, our people suffer from endless cycles of drought and flash-floods, leaving them destitute and forever in need of food aid. Thankfully, there is an alternative. This thread will hopefully serve an inspiration for those who are sick and tired of that endless cycle and want to see real change.

 

[Abaq]

This village receives on average the same amount of rainfall as most Somali areas (around 200mm of rain).

Also note, the balli/war is not lined with a plastic sheet (which is what they are starting to do in some Somali areas). This is because, when you manage the area properly, you actually want water to seep into the pond naturally as the ground water over flows into it, whereas in Somali areas that use a plastic sheet, the ground water is so depleted the pond empties out very quickly so they use the sheet to prevent that.

 

[Abaq]

The benefit of this system, is that you can create these structures even in un-inhabited land and restore entire river beds. Just let that sink in for moment. Imagine the togs/wadis/lags (seasonal rivers) running with clean water throughout the year and not just the rainy season. We can restore our rivers and end the vicious cycle once and for all.

 

[Abaq]

Solution for our arid cities to harvest scarce water, reduce the heat island effect, and provide lots of shade.

 

[peacemaker]

 

[peacemaker]

 

[peacemaker]

india put her ego aside and learned from Israel, lets learn from Israel, they have perfected many technologies on land reclamation, water desalination and turning the desert into farmland

 

[GemState]

The drought wasn’t solely caused by rainfall failure. What’s worse than that is extreme heat waves & strong steady winds, Excessive evaporations is probably having the bigger role. Open barkads will dry up faster just by evaporation. Never had it been so dry on average in the HoA.

In open water sources, like ponds and other water harvesting schemes, adding Alga & other aquatic plants will partially cover the water surface. Aquatic plants will not only shade the water below, they will also absorb some of the sun’s energy, keeping the water cooler is useful to prevent evaporations. This is probably the simplest and cheapest method to prevent evaporations.

Doing that and simply building much more water catchment sites will a long way

 

[World]

The drought wasn’t solely caused by rainfall failure. What’s worse than that is extreme heat waves & strong steady winds, Excessive evaporations is probably having the bigger role. Open barkads will dry up faster just by evaporation. Never had it been so dry on average in the HoA.

In open water sources, like ponds and other water harvesting schemes, adding Alga & other aquatic plants will partially cover the water surface. Aquatic plants will not only shade the water below, they will also absorb some of the sun’s energy, keeping the water cooler is useful to prevent evaporations. This is probably the simplest and cheapest method to prevent evaporations.

Doing that and simply building much more water catchment sites will a long way

But then, livestock population will increase, that extra water will be used up, and we’ll have the same problem again. Water and grazing are finite resources, they cannot just keep expanding. This is only a temporary solution. What needs to happen is for there to be a much smaller nomadic population, not more than one million across Somalia/land. The rest of our population must be engaged in other economic activities. So the solution is for more jobs to be created.

 

[anon2]

There was a program the Kacaan government launched in 1976 to fight desertification and it worked. I can't remember the name of it.

 

[GemState]

But then, livestock population will increase, that extra water will be used up, and we’ll have the same problem again. Water and grazing are finite resources, they cannot just keep expanding. This is only a temporary solution. What needs to happen is for there to be a much smaller nomadic population, not more than one million across Somalia/land. The rest of our population must be engaged in other economic activities. So the solution is for more jobs to be created.

We need to speed up Urbanization, and basically tell folks in Rural areas they either move into cities or get no government services.

 

[World]

We need to speed up Urbanization, and basically tell folks in Rural areas they either move into cities or get no government services.

But then what will they do ? We can’t expect people to just be unemployed with no prospects with bills to pay. For Europeans, they urbanised through the industrial revolution and those folks in rural areas left their farms and worked in factory jobs in cities. However in Somalia unemployment is very high.

 

[bidenkulaha]

But then what will they do ? We can’t expect people to just be unemployed with no prospects with bills to pay. For Europeans, they urbanised through the industrial revolution and those folks in rural areas left their farms and worked in factory jobs in cities. However in Somalia unemployment is very high.

We need to focus on energy. Somalia has the highest potential for solar and wind energy in the world.

Education and skills training is of course required but fortunately our population is young

 

[ZodiaK]

Build dams

 

[Dalalos_ibn_Adali]

I spoke to my cousin about starting such project, he told me the Geeljire will not help you and on top of that they will say this isn't our dhaqan, I hate the mentality of Geeljire, they are good at surviving but not good at thriving, look at these projects it doesn't require millions of investment, all it needs is a volunteers and couple of engineers for planning.

 

[FBIsomalia]

 

[Abaq]

 

[Woke1.4rm.Shibis]

Forage growers need to switch to more drought tolerant forage seeds like mulato 2 .
The caws maroodi and alfa alfa growers in lafoole and afgooye havent been getting good growth on them the past 2 years .
Some in the outskirts of xamar and other regions of Somalia are making the switch thanks to this company caws iyo calaf


I hope more growers switch

 

[Insurance]

We also need to use modern and scientific approaches to farming. We are still using old technology in farming.

 

[Abaq]

So, let's adress the elephant in the room. All the strategies posted so far are farming strategies and the reality is our nomad population is simply not willing to farm (the majority of them that is). So, what is the solution?

Thankfully, there is a solution that combines raising livestock with regenerating the land which is arguably more superior with anything posted so far with even better results. I give you holistic planned grazing, every geeljire's dream: