Introduction
This is the third installment of hard-to-obtain reports, surveys and publications on Somalia’s rangelands.
Consisting of Hiran, Galgaduud and Muduq regions, Central Somalia is 149,000 sq. km (57,529 square miles) in area, roughly the size of Greece or the state of Illinois.
Except for the Shebelle River valley and a large ridge fronting the sea 20 km inland, Central Somalia is an almost featureless plain rising gradually from sea-level inland to about 300 m (1,000 ft) elevation at the Ethiopian border. Semi-arid in the southwest to arid in the northeast, it comprises 43% of Somalia’s rangelands.
In 1989, before the breakdown of security in the region, Central Somalia supported 700,000 people, mostly semi-nomadic pastoralists, and about 11 million livestock, including, in order of abundance: goats, sheep, camels, and cattle. Livestock production is the region’s major land use.
Livestock numbers and distribution in Somalia. (Baumann, M.P.O. et al. 1993. Pastoral production in Central Somalia. GTZ.)
Over ninety reports and papers are available on the rangelands of Central Somalia. We begin with those by the company Resource Management and Research (RMR).
SURVEYS BY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH (RMR), LONDON
Following its survey of Northern Somalia in 1978 (https://storiesofeastafrica.com/reports-on-the-northern-rangelands-of-somalia/), RMR surveyed Central Somalia in 1979. This made important information on rangeland resources immediately available to the multi-donor Central Rangelands Development Project (CRDP) established that year. Attributes surveyed were both static (land units, vegetation, water points etc) and dynamic, the latter consisting of wet and dry season aerial censuses of livestock and wildlife.
Reports on Somalia’s Central Rangelands by the CRDP and other agencies / authors will appear in future posts.
A big “Thank You” to Jon Herlocker who provided invaluable editorial, technical, and financial support.
Volume 1 Part 1 – Static Range Resources Appendices
Volume 1 Part 1 – Static Range Resources Text
Volume 4 – Dynamic Range Resources – Methods and Comments
Information About Land Systems Units (L.S.U.)
Maps
Vol 1 Pt 2 – Static Resources – Maps
Figure 1.01 – Principal Geographic Features
Figure 1.02 – Index of Map Sheets & LANDSAT Imagery
Figure 1.03 – Pattern of Stratification
Figure 1.03B – Ecological Classification
Figure 1.04 – Drainage Systems and Relief
Figure 1.05 – Topgraphic Profiles (see Fig 1.04 for locations)
Figure 1.06 – Location of Sampling Sites
Figure 1.07 – Indices of Water
Figure 1.08 – Distance from Mapped Water
Vol 1 Pt 3 – Summary Maps for Volume 1 Part 1 & Volume 4
Vol 2 Pt 2 – Dry season 1979. Census results
Figure 1.02 – Index of map sheets & LANDSAT imagery
Figure 2.01 – Pattern of Stratification
Figure 2.02 – Densities of Cattle
Figure 2.03 – Densities of Sheep
Figure 2.04 – Densities of Goats
Figure 2.05 – Densities of Camels
Figure 2.06 – Livestock Biomass Densities
Figure 2.07 – Wildlife Biomass Densities
Figure 2.08 – Herbivore Biomass Densities
Figure 2.09 – Densities of Compounds
Figure 2.10 – Land Cropped in Previous Seasons
Figure 2.11 – Fallow and Abandoned Crop
Figure 2.12 – Indices of Water
Vol 3 Pt 2 – Wet season 1979. Census results
Figure 1.03 – Pattern of Stratification
Figure 3.02 – Densities of Cattle
Figure 3.03 – Densities of Sheep
Figure 3.04 – Densities of Goats
Figure 3.05 – Densities of Camels
Figure 3.06 – Livestock Biomass
Figure 3.07 – Wildlife Biomass
Figure 3.08 – Herbivore Biomass
Figure 3.09 – Densities of Compounds