Survival on meagre resources : Hadendowa pastoralism in the Red Sea Hills

This is the first comprehensive study of Hadendowa Beja pastoralism in Eastern Sudan. The various chapters deal with the effects of drought and of human activities on the natural environment, the effect on pastoral migration patterns, and socio-cultural changes. The authors argue that the recurrent pastoral disasters cannot be blamed only on the pastoralists, but must be related to wider economic and political contexts, in which the pastoralists are becoming increasingly marginalized. Summarizes research carried out under the Red Sea Area Programme, started in 1987. Describes the physical environment of the area and discusses ways in which the Hadendowa people exploit their mountain environment. Focuses on the establishment and working of adaptive units within the population. Discusses the effects of drought in the 1980s and examines strategies for survival and for pastoral rehabilitation This chapter seeks to establish the basic variables of the Red Sea Hill's natural environment.