Taking the waters : soil and water conservation among settling Beja nomads in eastern Sudan

This book, which is based on field research carried out between 1987 and 1990, explores government interventions in soil and water conservation (SWC) in the dryland region around the town of Kassala, in eastern Sudan. The interventions introduced from the early 1980s onwards were predominantly based on techniques of floodwater harvesting. The results of these interventions have generally remained below expectations. Indigenous SWC techniques applied by settling nomadic Beja groups in the area since the 1950s, which are based on rainwater harvesting, were therefore considered as an alternative. It was found that these techniques provide good opportunities to support the livelihood of Beja households in the short term. In the long term, however, additional means of subsistence will be required as a consequence of the insecurity of the environmental conditions in the area.