r - part - usaid

The traditional calendar divides the year into four seasons
and begins in early Qctober: w ith the arrival of the day€ rains
(Figure 2.3.1). Each season lasts approximately three months.
The hatteat, driest saaeoa occurs between January and April and
is referred to as Jflaal. This is a tine when water sources
begin to ary up and when +ha animals have eaten stalks remaining
in the ground after the hamest. Many families, and sometimes
entire villagas are farced to abandon the region during this
season in search of water and pasture for livestack,
The Hunting report (1982) identified 25 geomorphfc strata
and grouped these into five main geonorphic units. The soils
used most extensively for cultivation are referred to as arable
soils and include the dark brown, clay type and a lighter one
found mostly in the heavily famed areas north of Baidoa.
The Bay Region is estimated to have approximately 4.0
miliion hectares of land. The regioa is considered to have good
potential for agricultural intensification and expansion, and
has the highest nuder of livestock c, any region in Somalia
(Hunting 1982) .
The people of the Bay Region have their own system of
classifying their environment which is based on a combination ~f
ecological factors and patterns of land use. The m ost imp~rtant
areas identified by the inhabitants of the Bay Region are the
Dooy, Jabaay, Dhoybs-7, Jirr and Moalimad (Figure 2.3.2). These
areas are related to the nortk.i/sauth movement of livestack and,
at different times of the year are used for grazing, Bay, Buur
and Ooflow refer to areas of high population density and
extensive cultivation (Wyoming 1984, Vol.I:74).
'fha Bay Rsgian has extensive grazing aveas and sails which
are suitable for cultivation. The major constraint to increased
animal and grain production is the lack of a reliable supply of
water (Hunting 1983: V.4:2). Rainfall is the most impartant
SOVTC~ of water, and in addition to its direct effect on crops
and surface water, it replenishes underground sources which feed
wells, springs and village reservoirs. The Hunting report
e~tkmates there may be up to 10,000 hand dug wells in the Bay
Region and these are a crucial, and often the only source of
water for many villagers and animals during the hot, dry season
between January and April. These wells are, however, found only
in a few areas where water of adeqilate qyality is available at a
relatively shallow depth (Hunting 1983). The normal pattern is
to have many hand dug wells concentrated in one location,
although they are used by families spread over a wide area. Tfie
water survey conducted by the Wyoming team(1984) found hand dug
wells in only 12 of the 80 villages they surveyed.