Birding in the Hala'ib Triangle

African collared dove

Two years ago, a group of bird watchers went to south-eastern Egypt near the border of Sudan to explore the Jebel Elba region. Here's their birding report and some descriptions of their expedition.

“In the Eastern Desert, the mountains rise gradually from west to east to form a dramatic barrier. Amongst the notable mountains is Gebel Elba which because of its unique attributes it is the most important area for flora and fauna in Egypt. It can also be classed as one of the least explored corners of the world but nevertheless is subject to innumerable threats.”

“Gebel Elba is an igneous mountain complex located approximately 20 kilometres west of the Red Sea and rises to a maximum altitude of 1437 metres. The highest peaks act as a “dew trap”, taking the condensation from the clouds that often cover the mountain. The coast curves slightly to the east giving Gebel Elba an unusually broad front to the sea across a 25 kilometre strip of relatively flat land. This enables moist air from the Red Sea to condense on the peak of the mountain to create a “mist oasis”.”

“The area is restricted for foreign visitors, but after long negotiations, Birding in Egypt with the generous assistance of the Ministry of Defence and Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), organised and conducted a preliminary survey of the massif between 3 and 10 of April 2010, with an international ornithological team composed by 6 members, based on their own individual request.”

“We fully understand and applaud the government restrictions in the area due to the highly sensitive environment already affected by the prolonged drought, and have no intention of encouraging tourism of any nature in the region at any time.”

Full report.

National Park visitor centre is a unique building

 Visitor Centre for Wadi El Gemal Park [Aga Khan Trust. Archnet.org]

In southeast Egypt, east of Aswan and just south of Marsa Alam, lies the Wadi El Gemal National Park. Inside the large park are interesting landforms, animal and plant life, as well as Roman ruins, significant religious sites, quarries, and indigenous communities of Ababda Beja. The combination of marine and terrestrial habitats represents an important integrated ecosystem.

Berch style house construction [Aga Khan Trust. Archnet.org]

Acacia tree. [Aga Khan Trust. Archnet.org]

The Visitor Center is an interesting architectural building. It is designed for the region, using local materials, and is styled on local house designs and the acacia tree.

The centre is not far from the Red Sea. [Aga Khan Trust. Archnet.org]

The Visitor Center offers snacks, a craft shop, interpretive items and a gathering area for guests. The Visitor Centre is located at the northern entrance to the park, about 50 kilometers south of Marsa Alam. It's located just off the coastal highway. It opened in 2009.

A series of 38 pictures in colour.
Black and white pictures with detailed descriptions.
The architect includes the building in his portfolio.

Really big colour pics, and floor plan.

More rain in the Eritrean highlands

Thursday August 25. Rain in the hills.

Rain in the Eritrean highlands today

Watching Al Jezeera weather for Africa, the graphic showed rain over Eritrea, and west of Khartoum too. Hopefully not enough to cause floods.

UPDATE September 4: Found a photo of the Gash River at Kassala - very high and fast. Uploaded on August 19.

Video: Introduction to the Beja People

enjoy!

Total lunar eclipse set for June 15

In the region of the Red Sea Hills, the moon will seem to disappear as the earth gets between the sun and the moon for over an hour. Actually most of east Africa, the Middle east, India and Malaysia will experience this astronomical phenomena. Get the details here.

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEdecade/LEdecade2011.html

Flood control project in Tokar

The Tokar delta is a flood plain in Sudan, just north of the Eritrean border. The Baraka River flows when the rain comes to the Eritrean highlands. Khor Baraka brings water and silt each summer (July and August) to this agricultural region. Various flood control systems are needed to ensure the safety of villagers, and the non-destruction of roads. The European Union has funded some work. From March, 2011 comes this expectation:

[In the] Red Sea State,  the Tokar Delta Recovery Project is working hard to bring about a substantial transformation.

Major activities under way there include:
The construction of an all weather crossing at Sheddin of the season river that floods the delta. This is the largest work undertaken by the project. It will be completed in May, 2011.

Reconstruction of earthwork banks at critical places in the Delta to ensure that the flood water distributes to the places it is most needed. Clearing land and marking the landholdings to bring another 5,000 feddan under cultivation free from mesquite in addition to the 10,000 feddan cleared last year.

All work now under way will be completed before the floods come so any modifications can be made in the next dry season [fall 2011].

Read more!
SPCRP - Model Projects Flyer No. 13 March 2011

Summer rain

Government officials are warning citizens to check drainage around their homes and neighbourhood because heavy rain is expected in Khartoum and regions north. Rainfall amounted to 15 mm in Kassala last week.

The meteorologists noted that next weeks rains will cover all states of the Sudan.
 
http://www.sudanvisiondaily.com//modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=59146 

UPDATE Tuesday, July20. Thunderstorms are forecast for Port Sudan this week.

Limited rain in East Africa causes drought

Rainfall has been very limited in East Africa this year. The United Nations and aid agencies are calling for funds to prevent starvation among people in southern Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. Malnutrition rates are up, cholera has been reported, millions of animals have died. A map created by Oxfam shows how little rainfall there is compared to normal amounts.
In the north of this map, the little rain may not be so problematic since rains were adequate earlier this year.
http://bit.ly/7DGZTp
.

How hot can it get?

Revisit the past for a moment. In a 1960 tour of the region northwest of Port Sudan, geological researchers measured the temperature of the ground.

Autumn Temperatures in the Red Sea Hills

L. BERRY & J. L. CLOUDSLEY-THOMPSON

University of Khartoum, Sudan.

DURING the autumn vacation, we made geomorphological and biological surveys in the Red Sea hills and coastal plain north of Port Sudan. Details of these will be published later. While trekking among uncharted jebels in the area 36.50° E., 21.00° N., high surface temperatures were recorded, especially on wind-blown sand. 

For example, on September 24, 1960, at 1300h. local time, when the air temperature varied between 40.5 and 43.5° C. (105–110° F.) the surface sand temperature was 83.5° C. (182.5° F.)as measured with an electrical resistance thermometer employing thermistors.  Four hours later, when the temperature had fallen to 32.0° C. (90.0° F.), the sand temperature had dropped 45.5° C. to 38.0° C. (100.5° F.).

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v188/n4753/abs/188843a0.html 

. 

Port Sudan water reservoir full

Good rains through the summer of 2009 have provided a complete collection of water, and the reservoirs that provide water to Port Sudan are full. The Khor Arba'at is dammed about 15 km east of the Red Sea and 25 km north of Port Sudan. It is the only permanent water source in the Red Sea Hills.
 
The seacoast of Sudan is bordered by a flat sandy hinterland that runs parallel to the coast and the inland hills. This region is typically 10 km across. Rainfed rivers in the hills are temporary, and do not flow all the way to the coast. A good supply of water for port towns on the Red Sea has always been problematic.

Population growth in Port Sudan and on its outskirts have increased demand for basic services such as water and electricity. Authorities have explored the idea of building a water pipeline from the Nile across the Nubian desert to provide a stable supply of water. 

Seasonal migration during the summer months reduced the population of the city, and reduced the demands on electricity, so it was stable then. During the rest of the year, electricity supply may not always be secure.

Flooding a problem in Kassala region

Sorghum harvest expectations

ReliefWeb has published a map that suggests better than average sorghum harvests in East Sudan. Note the colours green and blue in the Red Sea Hills.] Their analysis for the country is less positive. "
In Burundi, Eritrea and Sudan the growing season has been normal to dry and average or slightly below average sorghum/millet yields up to -5% are expected."

This is good news for Beja people, and contrast somewhat with earlier reports that the rains will be late. [see blog entries below]

Drought is occuring in Ethiopia, and reports exist that identify malnutrition rates at higher than 20% for regions there.
.
Source: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/HHOO-7TXLSR
.

Rain delayed in central and north Sudan

The arrival of the rainy season in Sudan is slower this year than in previous years. The centre horizontal line on the map shows the average stage of rains for the past 30 years. This year the rains are further south [red line]. The implication of this is that rains will be shorter and have less volume this year.

Source- ReliefWeb: http://u.nu/4tnf

Further weather info for Africa
.

UPDATE: July 14, 2009.
Another report from Relief Web states that "According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), poor rains had prolonged a severe dry spell across most of Southern Sudan.

"The Famine Early Warning Systems Network, in its June update, warned that below-normal rains in May and mid-June had affected output during the April-July cropping season in areas such as Greater Equatoria.

"Poor rains from May to mid-June could also signal possible planting delays in many of the June-September-November cropping areas in the eastern/western flood plains and in the Nile-Sobat livelihood zones, the network noted.

More here> http://u.nu/43pj

Flooding on Gash River

Comments:
Heavy rain in the Ethiopian mountains causes Gash river to overflow and break flood barriers built in 1988. 680 houses destroyed. "Gash river burst its banks and reached 2.7 metres on 29 July, the highest level ever recorded in the region during the past 70 years". 79 percent of Kassala city flooded, 80 percent of population is homeless (about 70,000 families). August 8 - Gash River remains high and rain continues in the Ethiopian and Eritrean plateaus. Water enters western part of Kassala again. August 18 - fresh flooding reported in Kassala, more than 100 houses destroyed. August 21 - life starting to return to normal in Kassala city.
Worst flooding in 40 years in Eritrea on Gash River; heavy losses in crops, vegetation and agricultural facilities in Teseney.

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/2003184.html
.

Kassala flooded after Gash River overflows banks

Heavy rains in July, 2003 raised the water level so high the river overflowed into the town. Mud houses were swept away, and businesses destroyed. - Ten percent of the population were left homeless. More than 75 schools were damaged, the central hospital was damaged, and pumping systems for water were damaged. Telephones ceased to work. Fresh water supplies became contaminated, and sanitation systems broke down.
Source: http://www.ockenden.org.uk/index.asp?id=766