Harda (ponds)

Located within or near these forests, also where rainwater could be easily trapped and cannot easily sink.

They can be as high as 13m and as long as 60m and is constructed and maintained by all members of the Paleta and Xela. Silt traps are also built.

 
Forests

0.7% of total land is forest (2000ha). These include those belonging to the whole community, plantations, cultural forests and those belonging to the Poqalla’s.

They are normally located near the residence of Poqolla. There are three main Poqolla forests in the Konso core area.
Kala (196430sqm), Bamale (105338sqm) and Kufa (45066sqm)

Poqollas are buried at the centre of the forest after a lengthy ritual. Various other rituals are centred around the forest.

There are also forests in Kolme (Mattawa), Fasha (Maramaka), Gumayde (Sakantoote)

Formerly the trees were mainly Juniperus, but the Derg Government cut them for timber and Eucalyptus was planted. Since 1991 regeneration of indigenous tree and Ulahitas can now be cut from here by the Poqalla.

The traditionally protected forests are not very big. Their environmentally sustainable protection through ritual monitoring by the chief priest have helped Konso maintain their ecological balance and floral diversity for medicinal use and food during drought periods.

Agroforestry     – NGOs set up nurseries
                          - Already Konso farming practice
                          - Konso protect forests already

Wood and stone are the most highly valued building materials.


Terraces

"Perhaps nowhere else in traditional Ethiopia has the hand of man so impressed itself on the landscape as in Konso" Hallpike



Stone is as much a part of Konso life as soil. Their use of stone gives clarity and definition to their homesteads. It also conveys a sense of harmony, order and industry and is in these respects a true expression of their values.

The terraces are a cultural dry environmental adaptation technology that requires constant conservation. They prevent soil erosion and maximise water retention and hence infiltration and are used to maintain the fertility of the soil. Crops are grown in rotation throughout the year.

Terraces can be up to 8 m high and the width depends upon the steepness of the slope. They are made where the soil is cut away to make a perpendicular face and a stone wall built against it. Foundations are usually small (10 – 25cm). Stone is moved from above and used to level the lower area.

Men and women work together all though stonework is the job of men. Women use TOMA (long wooden bowls carved from trees) to move earth.

TOMATA = wall built of huge boulders on the bank of a stream to prevent surrounding fields being damaged. It requires a very large work party and can take months to complete.

Terrace walls less than 1m are almost perpendicular, walls greater than 1m high slope at an 80 degree angle and stepping stones may be tailed in. Wall foundations are sunk into the ground 10 -25cm. Usually terrace walls will exceed the level of the fields by 20-40cm to avoid fast runoff damaging the wall.

Along the sides of natural gullies special constructions are necessary due to the destructive force of the torrential waters.

Bends in the wall are reinforced by turrets. Turrets seldom rise more than 2m above the field. They are used as platforms to protect crops from birds and animals. For further support flanking walls are built to cross the terraces perpendicularly, approximately 50m apart. These are up to 1.5m high and serve as pathways.

Terraces are employed on any slope inclined more than 1:25 because the humus layer is thin. On average the heights of walls are between 0.5 and 1.5 m and the width usually 2 - 4m, but are always determined by the angle of the slope. Terrace walls contain small gaps (30cm wide) as drains to lower fields. Moringa is planted to stabilise the slopes.

Terraces are owned by individual members, maintenance is by the Kanta members of the owner. They are transferred from father to son, but can be bought and sold. Whole villages have been known to turn out to the fields during a storm at midnight to ensure that the water is flowing well and not running to waste.