It is difficult even to imagine that there are impenetrable swamps on the African continent, and it is hard to believe that there is a settlement among the muddy waters and bogs. But this is the real reality for the heroic people of the Nuer tribe. People not only live on tiny islands among crocodiles and other dangerous animals, but also manage to cultivate their own gardens and even keep herds of goats. And the most incomprehensible thing is that when the question of draining this area arose, they actively opposed this event.
A huge swamp called Sudd or Saddy is located in the central part of South Sudan, and this impenetrable oasis is located in the White Nile Valley. The swamp itself, the area of which ranges from 30 thousand. sq. km up to 150 (it all depends on the season and the amount of precipitation), together with the Bahr el-Ghazal river basin considered the largest wetlands in the world and the largest freshwater area in the basin the Nile River. Given the favorable conditions for the habitation of animals and birds, as well as the abundance of species of vegetation, this area is considered the most fertile almost on the entire continent.
Interesting fact: To prove that this is a fertile land, we will give some numbers. The swamp itself, with migrating islands and islets, stretches 500 km from north to south and 200 km from east to west. This zone is inhabited by over 400 species of birds, about 100 species of mammals. Considering that the rainy season lasts from April to September and the average annual rainfall ranges from 700 to 1000 mm, it should come as no surprise that swampy terrain is considered impassable, and it is impossible to move through this territory both by land transport and modern aquatic. This circumstance explains the fact that the swampy region has not yet been fully and thoroughly explored.
Despite the fact that neither scientists nor civilization can get here, people have lived here for more than a thousand years, and their homes are literally in the middle of the swamp. It's hard to believe, but the Nuer tribe, which is part of the Nilot group, found many things to do to live comfortably. People fish, raise whole herds of animals, and even reap excellent harvests on the drifting islands, which are used both as vegetable gardens and as pastures teeming with lush vegetation.
According to the Novate.ru editors, the lives of these people are always in danger, because any wrong step or carelessness can end in failure. It's scary to get used to the idea that life is passing among swamps and bogs, but this is still half the trouble, as it turned out, in these waters there is a huge number of hungry crocodiles and aggressive hippos, which at any time can attack both people and animals.
To all these tests are added natural traps in the form of instability in the areas where people arrange both houses and pastures. This natural zone is designed in such a way that over time, drifting islands are sucked in by the swamp, and this process is very rapid and it is necessary to determine the danger in time by secondary signs, otherwise you can lose a whole herd of animals or a backyard with home.
Considering all of the above, the people of the Nuer tribe have adapted to build special houses, which are called "tukul". They are a round hut with a conical roof and walls of intertwined branches. This structure is coated with a special solution, which includes clay, manure and straw. Despite such naturalness and complete environmental friendliness, the service life of the structures is limited. This is due to constant dampness, so any family living in a swamp is building a dwelling every 5-6 years.
Naturally, life and the environment leaves its mark, and since civilization cannot yet break through the swamps and make its own adjustments, the inhabitants tribes all the same as they worship idols hundreds of years ago, carefully preserve the traditions of their ancestors, honor ancient beliefs, support the cult of forces nature. The main deities are not just revered, the tribe honors the customs of sacrifice, fortunately, the strongest and largest animal is chosen as a sacrifice, which is slaughtered by the most respected and dexterous slaughterer.
Interesting: The most revered god is Dengdita, he is also called the god of the Great Rain. The Nuer tribe considers him the main creator of the swamps and the protector of the people living in their territory.
Since these people do not know another life, their world is limited by the swamps, so when in the 70s of the last century the question arose about the creation of the Dzhunkali canal in the middle of the Sudda, the tribe actively protested. As it turned out, this engineering structure was designed not only to deliver fresh water to other parts of Sudan and Egypt, but also to drain most of the swamp. Thus, the country's authorities tried to kill two birds with one stone - to provide water to arid regions and get additional farmland.
READ ALSO: Why Japan made public toilets on city streets transparent
IT IS INTERESTING: What American tractors look like inside, which will be better than many apartments
Fortunately for the people living in this area, the project was never completed, out of 360 km of the canal, only 240 were built. At this, work was curtailed due to a lack of funds and the outbreak of hostilities, which further exacerbated the already difficult situation in the country.
>>>>Ideas for life | NOVATE.RU<<<<
The only ones who rejoiced at the crisis in this situation are the Nuer tribe, which prays to their gods that the construction will never be completed. And the most interesting thing is that their prayers did not go unanswered. Recently, the Ramsar Convention was adopted, which is the first global international treaty to define wetlands as a special type of ecosystem. Thanks to this agreement, Sudd was included in the list of wetlands of international importance, which protects it from rash and uncoordinated projects with conservation organizations.
It is difficult for a modern person, spoiled by the benefits of civilization, to imagine that it is possible to live and work not in an air-conditioned building, but in the middle of a swamp or in a cave. Although even in our time, you can still find settlements in which cave people live in the truest sense of the word. As it turned out, in China, at an altitude of 1.8 m above sea level
in an ancient cave, there is a whole village, which has become a real landmark of the country.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/190920/56058/