Southern Somalia lies south and west of Central Somalia’s Hiiraan Region. (JRC, European Commission, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.)

About 106,000 sq. miles in area (approximately the size of the State of Nevada but larger than the United Kingdom), Southern Somalia is an extensive, almost featureless plain crossed by the Juba River and indented by the wide, shallow flood plains of the Lower Juba and Shebelle rivers. The latter areas have the most productive soils in Somalia. Semi-arid in the north and west, it is semi-arid to sub-humid elsewhere due to annual rainfalls up to 700 mm. Thus, significant areas of Southern Somalia are devoted to agriculture (both irrigated and rainfed) and agropastoralism. Consequently in 1989, it had a population of about 3,500,000 people (5 times that of drier Central Somalia) living within seven administrative regions. Nonetheless, most of the area remained natural grazing land with mobile livestock keeping. 

In 1989, Southern Somalia had nearly six million livestock—over two million more than the drier Central Rangelands but with more cattle and fewer goats and sheep.

(Baumann et al. 1993. Pastoral production in Central Somalia)

REPORTS AND MAPS BY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH (RMR)

Having previously mapped the static and dynamic rangeland resources of Somalia’s northern rangelands in 1978, and its central rangelands in 1979, RMR finished the entire country by surveying the southern rangelands in 1983/4. The three surveys provided the necessary initial information on which to base the subsequent Northern Rangelands and Central Rangelands Development Projects. Unfortunately, a Southern Rangelands Development Project was never initiated due to the collapse of security within Somalia in 1989.

Percentage of past, present and future cropland (Fig 1.46. RMR, 1983/4)

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Miscellaneous Reports

• A Preliminary Assessment of Herbaceous Standing Crop in the Jubba Valley
• An Ecological Study of a proposed wildlife reserve in the Jubba Valley
• An Ecological Study of the remaining areas of riverine forest in the Jubba Valley
• Common Names of Somali Plants
• Ecological Aspects of House Construction in Jilib District Somalia
• Estimation of wood biomass in the Jubba Valley, southern Somalia
• Important Woody Plants of Middle Jubba Region
• Land types and vegetation in the Luuq district of south
• Notes on the Spelling of Vernacular Plant Names in Modern Somali Orthography
• Objection – Of how we talked about soil erosion
• Pastoral Economy and Seasonal Livestock Movements in the Greater Jubba Valley
• Performance of Woody Species and Crops at the Leprosy Hospital demonstration garden
• Preliminary Phytosociological Research on synanthropical vegetation in Southern Somalia
• Resource Development in the Shabeelle Valley
• Soil Survey – Land Evaluation and Vegetation correlation for land use planning
• Terrestrial Ecology Baseline Studies
• Wood Fuels Consumption and Cooking Practices in selected site of lower Shabeelle

Reports and Maps by Resource Management and Research (RMR)

Vol 1 Part 1 Static Resources

• Tables
• Fig 1.12 – Locations of previous surveys
• Fig 1.13 – Flight paths for stratification and reconnaissance
• Fig 1.14 – Locations of monitoring sites (Map A)
• Fig 1.14 – Map B
• Fig 1.15 – Trigonometry of monitoring site photography
• Fig 1.16 – Point sampling along transects at monitoring sites – a vertical transect
• Fig 1.17 – Surface geology
• Fig 1.18 – Key locations in geological history
• Fig 1.19 – Topographic relief (Map A)
• Fig 1.19 – Topographic relief (Map B)
• Fig 1.20 – Topographic profiles (Map A)
• Fig 1.20 – Topographic profiles (Map B)
• Fig 1.21 – Landscape types and terrain conditions
• Fig 1.22 – Drainage and catchments (Map A)
• Fig 1.22 – Map B
• Fig 1.23 – Springs, seepages and wells
• Fig 1.24 – Hydrology
• Fig 1.25 – Density of wells
• Fig 1.26 – Density of all Balliyo
• Fig 1.27 – Density of all Waro
• Fig 1.28 – Areas out of range of permanent and seasonal water supplies
• Fig 1.29 – pH of soils at monitoring sites
• Fig 1.30 – % quartz in soils at monitoring sites
• Fig 1.31 – % limestone by ecological zones
• Fig 1.32 – Relations between soil depth and water storage for plant growth
• Fig 1.33 – Indices of available water storage capabilities of soil per ecological zone
• Fig 1.34 – Principal geographic features (Map A)
• Fig 1.34 – Principal geographic features (Map B)
• Fig 1.35 – Towns and villages in 1974 with some new villages up to 1984
• Fig 1.36 – Distribution of the cutting of browse and thatching grass
• Fig 1.37 – Distribution of reports on trypanosomiasis, anthrax and gir gir
• Fig 1.38 – Distribution of reports on rinderpest, black quarter and foot and mouth
• Fig 1.39 – Distribution of reports on haemorrhagic septicemia, pox and uurdhiig
• Fig 1.40 – Distribution of reports on dhurgato, cadre, and galal
• Fig 1.41 – (Map A) Percentage of land enclosed mainly for grazing
• Fig 1.41 – (Map B) Distribution of the cutting of poles and firewood
• Fig 1.42 – Distribution of charcoal production features
• Fig 1.43 – Percentage of rain-fed cropland by ecological zone
• Fig 1.44 – Percentage of irrigated cropland by ecological zone
• Fig 1.45 – Percentage of remaining flood cropland in the dry season
• Fig 1.46 – % of past, present and future cropland
• Fig 1.47 – % of cleared land by ecological zone
• Fig 1.48 – Some interesting plant distributions
• Fig 1.49 – Available consumable biomass indices
• Fig 1.50 – (A & B Tables of rainfall variability); (Fig 1.52 – A-C Tables of annual & monthly rainfall)
• Fig 1.51 – Mean annual rainfall at stations in southern Somalia and neighboring areas
• Fig 1.52 – (D-G) – Annual and monthly rainfall at 8 stations
• Fig 1.52 – (H-K) – Annual and monthly rainfall at 7 stations
• Fig 1.52 – (L-O) – Annual and monthly rainfall at 8 stations
• Fig 1.52 – (P-S) Annual and monthly rainfall at 8 stations
• Fig 1.53 – Rainfall and ecoclimatic potential–Map A
• Fig 1.53 Map B
• Fig 1.54 – Fuel wood standing crop (Map A)
• Fig 1.54 – Map B
• Fig 1.55 – Standing crop of wood suitable for charcoal production
• Fig 1.56 – Standing crop of wood suitable for wood fuel

Vol 1 Part 2 Census Results – Maps 1983-4. (Static and Dynamic Resources)

• Fig 1.00 – Cover
• Fig 1.01.1 – Principal geographic features – Map A
• Fig 1.01.2 – Map B
• Fig 1.02.1 – Index of map sheets and Landsat imagery – Map A
• Fig 1.02.2 – Map B
• Fig 1.04.1 – Geomorphological and ecological classification of land system units – Map A
• Fig 1.04.2 – Map B
• Fig 1.05.1 – Topographic profiles – Map A
• Fig 1.05.2 – Map B
• Fig 1.06.1 – Topographic relief – Map A
• Fig 1.06.2 – Map B
• Fig 1.07.1 – Vegetation – Map A
• Fig 1.07.2 – Map B
• Fig 1.08.1 – Rainfall and ecoclimatic potential – Map A
• Fig 1.08.2 – Map B
• Fig 1.09.1 – Locations of monitoring sites – Map A
• Fig 1.09.2 – Map B

Vol 2 Part 2 – Census Results Maps. 1983-4 (Dynamic Resources)

• Fig 2.00 – Cover
• Fig 2.01.1 – Land system units – Map A
• Fig 2.01.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.02.1 – Cattle densities – Map A
• Fig 2.02.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.03.1 – Sheep densities – Map A
• Fig 2.03.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.04.1 – Goat densities – Map A
• Fig 2.04.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.05.1 – Camel densities – Map A
• Fig 2.05.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.06.1 – Livestock biomass densities – Map A
• Fig 2.06.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.07.1 – Wildlife biomass densities – Map A
• Fig 2.07.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.08.1 – Densities of non-urban houses and structures – Map A
• Fig 2.08.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.09.1 – Densities of occupied livestock compounds – Map A
• Fig 2.09.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.10.1 – Densities of abandoned livestock compounds – Map A
• Fig 2.10.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.11.1 – Proportional cover of current croplands – Map A
• Fig 2.11.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.12.1 – Proportional cover of irrigated crop lands – Map A
• Fig 2.12.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.13.1 – Proportional cover of managed land – Map A
• Fig 2.13.2 – Map B
• Fig 2.14.1 – Indices of water source densities – Map A
• Fig 2.14.2 – Map B

Vol 3 Part 2 – Census Results – Maps – 1983-4 (Dynamic attributes surveyed March 1984)

• Fig 3.00 – Cover
• Fig 3.02.1 – Cattle densities – Map A
• Fig 3.02.2 – Map B
• Fig 3.03.1 – Sheep densities – Map A
• Fig 3.03.2 – Map B
• Fig 3.04.1 – Goat densities – Map A
• Fig 3.04.2 – Map B
• Fig 3.05.1 – Camel densities – Map A
• Fig 3.05.2 – Map B
• Fig 3.06.1 – Livestock biomass densities – Map A
• Fig 3.06.2 – Map B
• Fig 3.07.1 – Wildlife biomass densities – Map A
• Fig 3.07.2 – Map B
• Fig 3.08.1 – Densities of all non-urban houses and structures – Map A
• Fig 3.08.2 – Map B
• Fig 3.09.1 – Densities of occupied livestock compounds – Map A
• Fig 3.09.2 – Map B
• Fig 3.10.1 – Densities of abandoned livestock compounds – Map A
• Fig 3.10.2 – Map B
• Fig 3.11.1 – Percentage of currently cropped land – Map A
• Fig 3.11.2 – Map B
• Fig 3.12.1 – Percentage of irrigated land – Map A
• Fig 3.12.2 – Map B
• Fig 3.13.1 – Percentage of managed land – Map A
• Fig 3.13.2 – Map B
• Fig 3.14.1 – Indices of water source density – Map A
• Fig 3.14.2 – Map B

Other Maps

• Resource Development in the Shabeelle Valley Map
• Terrestrial Ecology Baseline Studies Map 1
• Terrestrial Ecology Baseline Studies Map 2

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