In the crop growing season, transhumance is practised on a broad scale in the northern Ethiopian highlands, as farmland and its stubble can no longer be accessed by livestock. [1]
In the crop growing season, transhumance is practised on a broad scale in the northern Ethiopian highlands, as farmland and its stubble can no longer be accessed by livestock. [1]
Transhumance may be defined as “the practice of herd movements that are seasonal, occurring between two points, following very precise routes and repeated each year”. [2] It is an adaptation to temporal and spatial variability in climatic conditions. It is commonly practised by sedentary populations and should not be confused with pastoralism. Transhumance is part of an agricultural system that combines permanent arable agriculture with the seasonal movement of livestock. [3]
Unlike in the Mediterranean region, in the mountains of North Ethiopia, transhumant livestock movements are over distances of less than 20 km. Contact is kept daily with the village. [1] [4] If a village has no access to nearby pasture grounds, the farmers will organise transhumance to a distant place during the crop growing period in the rainy season. Hence, livestock nearby crops is avoided, the grass of village pastures can grow and is saved for later in the season. Transhumance is organised for the cattle; goats and sheep may join. Children (boys) remain with the livestock overnight. The cattle keepers bring the livestock to the best grasslands and water it daily. Evenings, a few adult men, on rotational basis, join the herd and supervise the safety at night of the livestock and the children; they also bring food. In addition, the shepherds drink cow milk. Milk production is relatively high during transhumance due to the availability and plentiful and good forage in the grazing grounds. Excess milk is taken daily to the homesteads for butter preparation. [4] The destination zone of the transhumance is locally called ‘’berekha’’, a term that typically refers to a place that is remote from villages and with a good vegetation cover. [1]
During the cropping season the lands around the villages are not accessible for grazing. Livestock owners have three alternatives: [1] [4]
If the grazing lands are far from the village, deep in the gorge, livestock will stay there overnight (transhumance) with children and a few adults keeping them. [1]
In the rainy season, the destination zones have much better fodder and water, when compared to the lands nearby the villages. Large amounts of fodder are available as the areas extensive and with low population density. [1] An additional good reason for transhumance to grazing grounds in deep gorges is that the soils are sandy and shallow there, and temperature is higher, so that the herbaceous vegetation has only good stands during the rains. [4]
As transhumance takes place in summer, during school holidays, the transhumance does not affect schooling. Young herders take their text books of the upcoming school year to the grazing grounds. Among the popular games on the grasslands, football (introduced via schools) tends to replace the traditional ‘’qarsa’’ game. Furthermore, cropping has become more intensive and needs more labour; the establishment of exclosures and the expansion of cropland have led to less grazing ground. Hence, fewer people send their cattle in transhumance. [1]
Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions, it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and lower valleys in winter. Herders have a permanent home, typically in valleys. Generally only the herds travel, with a certain number of people necessary to tend them, while the main population stays at the base. In contrast, horizontal transhumance is more susceptible to being disrupted by climatic, economic, or political change.
Dogu'a Tembien is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien. Nowadays, the mountainous district is part of the Southeastern Tigray Zone. The administrative centre of this woreda is Hagere Selam.
The Giba is a river of northern Ethiopia. It starts at the confluence of Genfel and Sulluh and flows westward to the Tekezé River. Future Lake Giba will occupy the plain where the Sulluh, Genfel and Agula'i Rivers meet, and hence be the future source of Giba River.
The Ab’aro is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows northwestward to empty finally in Weri’i and Tekezé River.
The Zeyi is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows southward to empty in Giba and Tekezé River.
The Tsaliet is a river in northern Ethiopia, belonging to the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien, where it is first called May Leiba River and then Tinsehe River, it flows westward through a deep gorge, to become Tsaliet in its lower course, where it empties in Weri’i River, just upstream of the main Weri’i bridge along the road to Adwa.
The Agefet is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Gheralta in northern Ethiopia, it flows westward to empty finally in the Weri’i and Tekezé River.
The Kidane Mihret is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows northward to empty finally in the Weri’i and Tekezé River.
The Azef is a river in the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows northward to empty finally in Weri’i and Tekezé River.
The Amblo is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows northward to empty finally in the Weri’i and Tekezé River.
The Tsech'i is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows westward to empty finally in Giba and Tekezé River.
The May Selelo is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows southward to empty in the Giba and Tekezé River.
The Zikuli, also called Gereb Awhi or Mennewe River, is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows southward to empty finally in the Giba and Tekezé River.
The Gra Adiam is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows southward where its name changes to Bitchoqo. It empties in the Giba and finally Tekezé River.
The Addi Keshofo is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in Northern Ethiopia, it flows southwards to empty directly in the Giba and further in Tekezé River.
The Inda Anbesa is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows eastward to empty directly in the Giba and further in Tekezé River.
The Ruba Bich’i is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows southeastward to empty directly in the Giba and further in Tekezé River.
The Ch’eqofo is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows southwestward to empty finally in the Giba and Tekezé River.
The Agula’i is a river of northern Ethiopia. Rising in the mountains of Atsbi Wenberta, it flows southwestward to Giba River which empties finally in the Tekezé River. Future Lake Giba will occupy the plain where Sulluh, Genfel and Agula’i Rivers meet.
The Tanqwa is a river of northern Ethiopia. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien, it flows westward to Giba River which empties finally in the Tekezé River.