[IYRP General List] Wild watermelon for livestock in northern Sudan

[Maryam Niamir-Fuller]

Dear Friends of IYRP

I am pleased to share with you an article published recently in the
Rangelands Journal of the Society for Range Management, *The Kordofan melon
and pastoralist water strategy in Sudan: potential for climate change
adaptation and sustainable livelihoods, *by Prof Hussein Sulieman and
myself, that highlights the importance of cultivation of wild varieties of
watermelon as an ingenious and indigenous technology for sustainability -
as water and as fodder in the long dry season for camels, sheep and goats
in northern Sudan.  This traditional practice also helps maintain a
collaborative relationship between settled agropastoralists and
transhumance pastoralists. However, the introduction of mechanized hybrid
watermelon farming is slowly displacing this practice in favor of growing
domestic watermelons for sale in towns and cities. The hybrid
watermelon has also caused the introduction of a disease that appears to be
affecting the wild varieties. Nevertheless, the practice still endures with
the potential to be an adaptive measure to climate change. The field data
for this article was gathered by Prof. Hussein Sulieman just before the
recent hostilities and conflicts that have unfortunately engulfed Sudan.

The Article is in support of one of the 12 Themes of the IYRP - namely to
recognize the value of traditional/indigenous practices and technologies,
and to celebrate and document them. You can access the article with the
link below freely until 19 Nov 2024.

Share Link:
https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1js0zhDeV42Vw
<https://kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fauthors.elsevier.com%2Fc%2F1js0zhDeV42Vw/1/0102019242d4f264-ce36371a-7efa-403f-b33d-c1d3886da831-000000/G_NMNK41UwFBDupNuk7xBKP2Sh0=393>

Please help to share knowledge about rangelands and pastoralists worldwide,
and support the IYRP 2026.

*...*...*...*
Dr. Maryam Niamir-Fuller

*Support the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists
2026  https://www.iyrp.info <https://www.iyrp.info>*
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