Flood Retreat Agriculture in the Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Flood retreat farming is a technique of farming that relies on the annual flood of rivers to provide irrigation water. It has been practiced in many river basins in Africa, including the Awash, Niger, Nile, and Zambezi. Prior to the construction of the Gibe III dam on the River Omo, approximately 100,000 people depended on flood retreat agriculture in the Lower Omo valley. The main crops grown were sorghum, maize, peas and beans. Flood retreat farming was highly productive.