Hello from Saudi Arabia

[Pneal]

Hey everybody,

Geoff just got a blog post up on the front page about our project--I'm currently preparing to move to the al-Baydha (the name of the area where we're working with different villages) and spending most of my time there anyway.

I've had book knowledge of permaculture for a few years but I just completed the PDC last month. I have more experience in natural building design and construction (specifically in earth bagging).

I look forward to learning from everyone on the forum and I'll be blogging about the project on a regular basis once we have our website up.

Pneal

[milifestyle]

Sounds great... Welcome to the Forum...

[sun burn]

Hi and welcome.

[ebunny]

We can't wait to see what you're up to there, so we'll look out for the blog

[pebble]

Yeah, looks interesting, post a link to the blog when your ready :-)

[eco4560]

It's here (http://permaculture.org.au/2010/11/18/permaculture-in-mecca/)

[paradisi]

g'day saudi

so dispell my misconceptions - whats the rainfall in saudi arabia. is ther much water (creeks, rivers, lakes) or mostly desal/artersian??

sorry I don't know more about the place

[Pneal]

On our site, we probably get between 75 and 90 mm annually on average, and that generally falls over 2 or 3 main rainstorms in January and February. In some years the area get quite a lot more with one big storm, which results in enormous flash floods. Based on the local knowledge, a big flash flood happens every 5-8 years, and a year with no rain happens every 5-8 years as well.

There used to be seasonal rivers but to my knowledge most of them are gone now--we hope to restore a couple smaller ones in our area through reforestation and gabion/swale building.

As for the rest of the country, I really couldn't say.

[Pneal]

No lakes to my knowledge--on the coast in Jeddah a lot of the water is desalinated. There used to be seasonal rivers where our project site is, and we're hoping to restore a couple of them through gabions/swales and reforestation. Average annual rainfall on our demonstration site is probably between 75 and 90 mm, which is our best estimate based on looking at Makkah's and Taif's climates, and most of that gets lost in flash floods.

[Moris]

Hello everyone.. I am new member of this community..

[sun burn]

Hello moris, start a new thread. And tell us where you are up to. Please. Otherwise welcome.

[Michaelangelica]

Welcome :)
I have met a lot of Saudi people lately; a lot study in Australia.
still don't know a lot about your country, though we seem to share water problems