Environmental and Social Impact Assessment - Gibe III

Gibe III – Environmental and Social Impact Assessment 300 ENV R CS 002 C - A9003099
agriculture and livestock keeping, cultivating crops both along the Omo and Kibish Rivers such as sorghum,
maize and beans both on the riverbanks and in the flood plains. Cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys make up
their livestock. In addition, they supplement their livelihoods with hunting and beehives.
The Murle (Murule): The Omo Murule used to live on east bank of the Omo North of Shungura and South of
Lake Dipa. Under pressure from the Hammer they moved to the West bank and sought protection from the
Nyangatom, integrated within that society. The Murule people like that of the Nyangatom and the Karo used
the Omo River and Lake Dipa for river bank cultivation and produce crops like sorghum and for fishery
activity. Lake Dipa, after flooded by the Omo, is used for flood retreat cultivation and fishing activities and
has a paramount importance for the local community. Sorghum cultivation on the riverbank, hunting and
gathering of wild foods and collection of honey are important activities for the Murle. Besides, they keep a
small number of goats, sheep and chicken.
The Kewegu: The Kwegu live on both banks of the Omo, and number some 200. They are riverine dwellers
who subsist on riverbank and flood plain cultivation. Their principal crop is sorghum, but they also grow
maize, cow peas, beans and tobacco. During the dry season they cultivate small pockets of flood land along
the Omo River bank, and, following the first heavy rain in March or April, they plant a second crop in forest
clearings, farther back from the river. They are also experts in hunting and fishing. They supplement their
livelihoods with collection of forest honey, and wild foods and keeping a few sheep and goats.
5.4.5.1 Rainfed agriculture
Rainfed cropping takes place at higher altitudes, where rainfall is higher and more reliable, and will therefore
not be directly concerned with the present study. However, most of the families in the study Weredas who
practice some rainfed cropping, actually rely more on flood recession crops and livestock for their
subsistence than they do on rainfed crops and the potential loss of recession crop area as well as the loss of
grazing, should planned mitigation actions not properly be carried out, could make the contribution of
rainfed agriculture to household economies more important in future.
Rainfed crops are cultivated in three out of the four Weredas where flood recession cropping is important;
Hamer, Salamago and Nyangatom, at higher altitudes towards the west and eastern margins of the valley.
Rainfall at lower altitudes, e.g. in Dasenech Wereda, is insufficient to support any rainfed cropping.
Rainfed cropping systems can be broadly identified as: (1). Maize dominated mixed cropping at the middle
to higher altitudes, (2). Sorghum dominated mixed cropping at lower altitudes and (3). Small-scale riverbank
mixed cropping, also at lower altitudes. The main crops grown are maize, sorghum, haricot beans, cowpeas,
tobacco and occasionally pumpkins. Inter-cropping is the norm and low plant populations, due to wide plant
spacing, reflect the little amount of rainfall expected.
Labour for hoe cultivation and weeding is the main input, and is generally said to be in short supply due to
the demands of livestock herding, low population levels and poor general health. Oxen are very rarely used,
partly due to cultural objections and also because of losses to disease. These factors all tend to limit the size
of the cultivated area. No fertiliser use is recorded and, in any case could be a wasted expense in view of the
erratic rainfall. Farmers use their own seed of traditional, locally adapted short duration crop varieties.
Livestock dominate the farming systems in all weredas, although less so for the Hamer which are said to be
40% pastoralist and 60% agricultural in terms of subsistence dependency. In the other three Weredas, crop
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