By EXPO Milano 2015,
LIFE in arid areas can be a blessing, not a misfortune: this is the message that Eritrea seeks to spread during Expo Milano 2015.
Its contribution will be to illustrate the sustainability of its traditional agriculture. It outlines the potential of its natural resources as a food reserve for rural communities, explains how to deal with the challenges of water scarcity, introduces the traditional Eritrean cuisine (which, in many cases, has excellent nutritional value), and highlights the potential of cooperative approaches.
The 125-square meter exhibition space within the Arid Zone Cluster, hosts illustrations, posters and brochures illustrating Eritrea’s various agro-ecological zones and the unique characteristics of each.
It also explores the challenges posed by desertification processes and explains the “every drop of water” conservation techniques, through dam and lake building for the purposes of farming, fishing and animal drinking water.
A showcase of short video clips explores phases of the food production chain and describes crop-growing and traditional harvesting. There is an interesting example of the counter-measures used in the area of Sheeb to slow down desertification. Some describe the many uses of the fruit of the jujube tree, and others, use of the mogogo (a typical oven found in homes) with its biomass differential compared with wood, and the adhanet mogogo (a modern mogogo), to increase energy-efficiency and combat desertification.
