Table 6.1 Traditional climatic zones of Ethiopia and their physical characteristics.

(Source:
NRMRD-MoA 1998)
Zones Altitude (m) Mean annual Length of Mean annual Area share
(NRMRD- rainfall (mm) growing temperature (%)
MoA (NRMRD- periods (days) (◦C)
1998) MoA (NRMRD- (NRMRD-
1998) MoA MoA
1998) 1998)
Wurich (cold > 3,200 900–2,200 211–365 Below 11.5 0.98
to moist)
Dega (cool to 2,300–3,200 900–1,200 121–210 11.5–17.5 9.94
humid)
Weynadega 1,500–2300 800–1,200 91–120 17.5–20.0 26.75
(cool sub
humid)
Kola (Warm 500–1,500 200–800 46–90 20.0–27.5 52.94
semiarid)
Berha (Hot < 500 Below 200 0–45 Above 27.5 9.39
arid)

Fig. 6.1 Traditional climatic zones of Ethiopia

climatic condition area known as “Berha.” Their physical characteristics and spatial
distribution are presented in Table 6.1 and Fig. 6.1.
The climate of the country is described by the statistical interpretation of precipita-
tion and temperature data recorded over a long period of time. As it is described on the
Table: Agroecological Zones of Ethiopia

Length of
Mean annual Traditional growing Area share
Altitude in
temperature agroecological Global equivalence
Meters
in 0c name periods (%)
(days)

3,300 and Alpine or Afro

Below 10 Wurch 211–365 0.98
above Alpine/cool

Temperate/Cool
2,300-3,300 >11.5-17.5 Dega 121–210 9.94
Temperate

1,500-2,300 >17.5-20 WoinaDega Subtropical/Temperate 91–120 26.75

Tropical/Warm
500-1,500 >20.0-27.5 Kola 46–90 52.94
Temperate

Below 500 > 27.5 Berha Desert/ Hot 0–45 9.34

Source: NRMRD MoA, 1998

The Wurch Zone
The Wurch-zone is an area having altitude higher than 3,200 meters above sea level and mean annual
temperature of less than 100C. Mountains having typically fitting characteristics of this zone include mountain
systems of RasDashen in SemineGonder, Guna in South Gonder, Megezez in North Shoa, Batu in Bale,
Choke, AbuneYoseph, etc.

Dega Zone
This is a zone of highlands having relatively higher temperature and lower altitude compared to the wurch
Zones. In Ethiopia, the Dega-zone is long inhabited and has dense human settlement due to reliable rainfall
for agriculture and absence of vector-borne diseases such as [Link] to this high concentration of
human population, the Dega zone has been intensively cultivated and has a high rate of soil erosion,
overgrazing and deforestation.

WeynaDega Zone
This zone has warmer temperature and moderate rainfall. It lies between 1500-2,300 meters above sea
level. It is the second largest zone covering more than 26% of the landmass of Ethiopia. The temperature
and rainfall of this category is highly suitable for majority of crops grown in Ethiopia. Hence, the zone
includes most of the agricultural land. The WeynaDega zone has also two growing seasons.

Kolla Zone
In Ethiopia, the geographic peripheries in south, southeast, west and northeastern part are mainly in this
category. Kolla is the climate of the hot lowlands with an altitudinal range of 500 to 1500 meters above sea
level. Average annual temperature ranges between 20oc and 30oc. Although mean annual rainfall is
erratic, it can be as high as 1500 mm in the wet western lowlands of Gambella. Rainfall is highly
variable from year to year. The region is boundary between the hot arid (Bereha) and the humid climates
(WoinaDega).

Bereha Zone
Bereha is the hot arid climate of the desert lowlands. The Bereha agro-climatic zone is largely confined to
lowland areas with altitude of lower than 500 meters. Around Danakil depression, the elevation goes below
the sea level. Its average annual rainfall is less than 200 mm, and average annual temperature is
over 27.5oc. Strong wind, high temperature, low relative humidity, and little cloud cover usually
characterize Bereha. Evapotranspiration is always in excess of rainfall. Djibouti, majority of Somalia,
and coastal areas of Eritrea are categorized under Kolla and Bereha zones.

which was mapped as Berha Belt. Although the term ‘Berha’ means desert, the Gambela conditions have more
moisture and are inundated part of the year, so that their appearance would not resemble a desert. However,
the area does have a pronounced dry period in the dry season, so that semi-arid conditions persist to a strong
degree. Furthermore, temperatures are very hot, which may justify the term ‘Berha’ even here. These examples
have shown how the maps can be interpreted location by location due to their precise topographical basis, and
the agroecological information about these vertical belts representing major cropping patterns appears to be
close to reality in Ethiopia.

A few kilometers southwest is the Afar region, 125 meters below the sea
level, and one of the hottest places in the world.
The subsequent season is the bega season and the beginning of this
season is also known as harvest season. The Bega is the season from
November to February. This season is dry windy and sunny. The dry and
cool wind is pushed to Ethiopia due to the Sahara and Siberian high
pressures cause dry season. This is why the days of the bega season are
sunny while the nights are cold. Nevertheless, in the eastern parts of
Ethiopia, this is not the case. Lowland areas like Ogaden get some rainfall
during this season.

Below the Kolla is the Berha Belt, where no rainfed cultivation is normally possible. Hot temperatures and
persistent drought render the area unsuitable for rainfed agriculture, although large-scale irrigation systems
along major rivers have been developed in some parts of Ethiopia, particularly along the Awash River.
Gamble
General description of habitat
A. Hazards affecting the region
Drought / Floods and landslides / Black cotton soils / Conflicts

Nuer houses

The Nuer are the most numerous ethnic group in Gambela. They are mostly
pastoralists and their cattle is central in their lives. The Nuer are usually
transhumant and most of them live in villages during the rainy season and move
to cattle camps in the dry season. Villages are commonly situated in higher zones
as most of the territory is flooded in the rainy season. In villages they grow
cereals.

Houses in villages are usually round, with chikka walls and thatched roofs. Some
roofs are multi-tiered, what allows better protection against heavy rains and
provides better isolation from the sun. The entrance may have a porch and is
more decorated than the rest of the house. Houses are windowless and doors are
small so that visitors are forced to crawl in order to enter. In villages they also
build byres for the cattle. During the rainy season doors are tightly closed at
sunset and fires are made with cow dung inside byres and houses so that
mosquitoes are kept away. The smoke escapes through the thatched roof.
When they move to the cattle camps in the dry season, they build shelters with
local grasses. These shelters are more transitory and do not need to be water-
proof.
Anuak houses in Gamble. CC- Gill Penney

Anuak houses in Gamble. CC- Gill Penney

A nuer house. ©Tabata Fioretto

Anuak houses

Anuak people are mostly farmers and herders. As the Nuer, they move to
drier sites when the rivers flood.

Anuak houses are similar to those of the Nuer: chikka houses with thatched
roofs which are often multi-tiered. One main difference is that they are
commonly built on top of an earthen platform or mound, to help avoid the
impact of average floods and to avoid being affected by humidity inside the
houses. Another great difference is that decoration is important to Anuak
people and thus some houses have bold murals. Doorways are little and low
as the houses are used mainly for sleeping, all other activities taking place
out of doors. Verandahs circling houses are not uncommon, what protects the
chikka walls from the effects of the rain

Anuak houses in Gamble. CC- Gill Penney

Anuak houses in Gamble. CC- Gill Penney

SOMALI
A. Hazards affecting the region
Drought / Floods and landslides / Earthquakes / Black cotton soils / Conflicts

B. General description of habitat

The nomadic hut (aqal)

Somalis are mostly pastoralist nomads moving in search of pasture and water
whose shelters are portable huts called aqal. These huts are dome-shaped and
usually have an elliptic base. They are built by women with varying materials
usually gathered by themselves depending on the availability in each zone:
branches, wooden poles, reeds, grass, roots, woven mats, animal skins and lately
also plastics and CGI sheets. Once the group decides to move away, women
dismantle the huts and carry them on camel backs.

An aqal is separated into two areas: one at the back, which helds the sleeping
area, and one at the front, which is used like living area. There might also be an
outer uncovered veranda (gabbaad). Somali nomadics usually have few
possessions which have practical uses. A bed made from wooden sticks covered
with hides is the only furniture in the aqal. Cooking utensils, storage boxes,
stools, woven mats and water bags are among the family’s goods and constitute
part of the Somali crafts.

The structure of the hut may have from three to seven arched branches (dhigo).
In intersection with the first ones, other arched branches are placed to form a
round or elliptical hut (lool). These arches are held by either one or two
(depending on the number of dhigo) long pieces of wood with a V-shaped head
placed in the long axe of the hut. Two pillars are erected on the sides of the door
as jambs. Right after, the woven hand-made mats are fastened to the structure.

Somali aqal. © Shafi Said Women building an aqal. © Shafi Said

Interior of Somali aqal. © Shafi Sa

Once finished, the huts are fastened to the ground diagonally and
horizontally with ropes so that they are not blown away by storms. During
rainy seasons waterproof plastic sheets called shiraac are used to protect
the huts on top of the mats.

Nomadic huts in Somali region built with mats and recovery materials and with shiraacs, plastics for
protection from rain. CC- Global Finland

Agro-pastoralist chikka houses (mundal)

Agro-pastoralists and riverine communities usually live in more permanent

structures similar to chikka round houses with thatched roofs and palm fronds
knotted together. This kind of house is called mundal. Plastering is made with
earth, animal dung, and ashes.
Sedentary houses

Sedentary people in Somali may also live in rectangular chikka, stone, brick or
cement houses with CGI sheets roofs (arish) or concrete roofs in new buildings in
cities. In cities, people also live in Arab-style whitewashed houses made of stone
or brick coated with lime or cement mortars.

Chikka houses of Somali agro-pastoralists. © [Link] Rectangular chikka house in Gode, Somali. CC- Robert
Sauers
 AFAR
A. Hazards affecting the region
Floods and landslides / Earthquakes / Drought /Conflicts
General description of habitat

Nomadic fibre shelters

The Afar are mostly nomads living in small isolated groups. A moving camp is
made of about 20 huts with livestock and a meeting place. Camps are surrounded
by vegetal barricades, which protect them from the attacks of wild animals and
from domestic animals theft. Nevertheless, urban population is rising, and today
about 1/5 of the population of the Afar region lives in cities.
The Afar nomad huts, called ari, are oval-shaped and are erected by women. They
are also demounted and loaded on to the camels by the women when the group
decides to move. Women are also the owners of the huts. The structure of the hut
is erected making an domed armature of branches which is bound with palm
fibre. The covering is made with palm mats.
Sedentary or semi-nomadic houses: stone, chikka...

Other kind of dwellings exist, often used by sedentary people or by semi- nomadic
groups having a fix sedentary place to go back.
One of them is a stone house called dabou which is found at the foot of the
highlands where the soil is constituted of sandstone or pumice. These houses
have thick stone masonry bearing walls and a thorn and rubble roof.
Another kind of sedentary vernacular dwelling are rectangular constructions with
wooden structure and wooden walls, sometimes with a chikka filling and with a
flat earthen roof.
There also exist in some places rectangular houses made with wooden structure
whose walls are covered with fibre mats and that have CGI roofing.
More and more buildings are been made with rectangular form and with
chikka structure (or also with cement blocks) and CGI roofs, mainly in cities
Afar nomadic camp with wooden barricade. ©T. Joffroy- CRAterre
Permanent stone huts (dabous) in Erta Ale campement in
the Danakil Depression. Afar region.

Afar women building a nomadic shelter.© T. Joffroy- CRAterre Afar nomadic hut. CC- Ji Elle

Permanent constructions with wooden structure and earthen Chikka houses in Erebti village. CC- A. Savin

roof in Afar region. ©T. Joffroy- CRAterre

Permanent mat houses in Afar. CC- Evelyne