Dozens of Somaliland nomads flock to Bendar Beyla dam in Puntland

[Saalax]

Those water holding dams are proving effective. Costing just $50,000.

 

[maakhiri1]

1000s of these water catchment could be built, without corruption, and with good leaders who care for their people,

 

The only catch is continues rain, else more water will get evaporated by sun, than used by people.

 

I also believe the nomadic/rural people, which are majority of Somalis, need a change, complete change of way of life, and don't need being always at the mercy of good grazing grounds, rain. The answer is simple, we don't need t re-invent the wheel, urbanization, and job creation,or staying put one place, and farming.

 

This is not easy, a radical change the way people live, very hard to establish a change like this, with climate change, desertification, and less rain, governments should focus on making sure these people don't chase all their lives rain, but settle some where, and form communities, groundwater, water catchment, schools,educations, basic veterinary and healthcare, upskiling.

[Saalax]

Maakhiri1 I agree the arid land of horn of Africa can no longer

support nomadism. If those people want cheap source of

meat, why don't they raise chickens?

[YoniZ]

The only time we hear from these Nomads are when the water runs out. Their irresponsible way of live need to change. They have enjoyed boom in livestock exports for the past decade and received good money selling their stock. However, none of that money is invested back to improve livelihoods, other than chewing Qat and talking nonsense.

 

Nomads can afford to contribute on building small Dams/reservoirs like the one in Bender Bayla. One Dam/reservoir in every 30 km2 is urgently needed. The dry rivers that crisscross every district is valuable source of water that need to be tapped, and managed in effective way.

 

Somalida quraanka waa ku fiicantahay akhrintiisa, lakin Suurat Yuusuf inay fahmaan ayaa ka maqan.

 

Nin boqol geela iyo dhowr tiro oo ari ah lahaa bilo yar kahor, hadana caga cad, waxa uu ku jiro waa ciqaab aduunyo. Dadkaa hala baro in xoolahooda marka uu naqu jiro ay ka dhigtaan wax ay ku dhaafaan abaarta.

[YoniZ]

It has been a year ago when I posted about the construction of this small Dam/reservoir. I never imagined it will be this crucial to so many Nomad lives.

 

www.somaliaonline.com/community/topic/bandar-bayla-mini-dam/

 

Central to this wonderful initiative was a man of dignity, Dr Cabdirisaaq Bogcad - The former Director General, Puntland Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism.

 

Sadly, six months after completion of the Bender Bayla Dam/reservoir, he was moved out of the Ministry in one of the never ending stupid reshuffles, to another not related to his qualifications and expertise (Director General to the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs).

 

His response was the best I have seen from any Nomad in the recent political arena. He said, he was not qualified to take the new position and, had no knowledge or experience in constitutional affairs. His qualifications and expertise are better served in his current position at the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism. After all he had the following qualifications:

B.Sc in Agropastoralism - Animal Husbandry.

M.Sc in Range Management

PhD in Education Management

 

If you want see the living example of politics of despair we are in today, in every corner of Nomads' regions, look no further than this case.

www.horseedmedia.net/2016/04/10/dr-cabdirisaaq-bogcad-oo-iska-casiley-xilkii-madaxweynaha-puntland-u-magacaabey/

 

Thanks to the Old man and his good work at Bender Bayla.

[galbeedi]

Brother Saalax and others please keep posting these life changing issues. This is probably the most important topic of all. This year we all witnessed how the drought effect begun from the Awdal coast to Togdheer , Puntland and all the way to central Somalia.

 

Of all people , C/weli Gaas, a Harvard educated man , had not only removed a good and hard working man, but prevented the introduction of life changing methods of life.

 

Afqalaad aqoontu miya

maye waa intu Eeba gashaa

ayey nala tahay ee

ma ogtahay dib looma abuuro dadkee

 

The two places --Somaliland and Puntland --were Somalis have found some kind of relative peace and administration, have not done much to alleviate poverty. In Hargeisa, they keep building useless two million dollars government offices rather than build 20 reservoirs each for hundred thousand.

 

I agree with you guys, this nomadic life style can not be sustained any more. Collectivization and communal life must be introduced. As Makhiri said, top down introduction of grand plan does not work. Locals must be given power to to implement these issues. People who became mature in the early sixties will tell you that , until the introduction of the top down regional bosses who sucked money and resources from the villages and towns, there were no major droughts or inflation before the independence.

 

A man with 20 goats or 10 camels has more resource and much richer than the poor people dwelling in the cities, yet they are running after the camels like slaves of the beast.

 

 

 

 

 

[Holac]

Of all people , C/weli Gaas, a Harvard educated man , had not only removed a good and hard working man, but prevented the introduction of life changing methods of life.

 

Word has it, Abdiweli fired this minister because he was getting more attention than he was. Somalia is cursed with lack of leadership all over.

[maakhiri1]

With Abdiweli Gas, and many somali Leaders, the answer is not that he is educated with PhD, and harvard Educated, that is part of the puzzle, but , we need people with experience, and learned, and has strong leadership qualities, not just education. This guy he got rid off, was very unique, and would say to Gas, Candhoofada dib u leg, Qabka iska dhaaf, nikaasna booskiisii ku soo celi.

 

As for the Nomads, the bigger problem is realising the problem, and then looking for solution, and this can be done with orientation, training, Siyad Barre attempted but failed . During similar draught in 1970s, government moved many families and introduced fishing/farming in South, but after the rain came, majority run away back to the rural life. Some even resisted thought government was uprooting from their land and depopulating them, and may have contributed to the civil war. These people are very uneducated and very scared of change.

 

China recently moved 320 million rural by force, to urban centres, they built for them.