Selam (Dogu'a Tembien)
Selam is a "tabia" or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The "tabia" centre is in Addi Werho village, located approximately 3 km to the northeast of the "woreda" town Hagere Selam. Geography. The "tabia" stretches down north of the ridge occupied by the main road towards the Tinsehe gorge. The highest peak is Imba Khoboro (2730 m a.s.l.) and the lowest place at the foot of the waterfall in Tinsehe (2000 m a.s.l.). Geology. From the higher to the lower locations, the following geological formations are present: Geomorphology and soils . The main geomorphic units, with corresponding soil types are: Climate and hydrology. Climate and meteorology. The rainfall pattern shows a very high seasonality with 70 to 80% of the annual rain falling in July and August. Mean temperature in Addi Werho is 18.8 °C, oscillating between average daily minimum of 10.5 °C and maximum of 26.7 °C. The contrasts between day and night air temperatures are much larger than seasonal contrasts. Rivers. The Tsaliet River (a tributary to Weri’i River) is the most important rivers in the surroundings of the "tabia". They flow towards Tekezze River and  further on to the Nile. These rivers have incised deep gorges which characterise the landscape. The drainage network of the "tabia" is organised as follows: Whereas they are (nearly) dry during most of the year, during the main rainy season, these rivers carry high runoff discharges, sometimes in the form of flash floods. Especially at the begin of the rainy season they are brown-coloured, evidencing high soil erosion rates. Springs. As there are no permanent rivers, the presence of springs is of utmost importance for the local people. The main springs in the "tabia" are: Water harvesting. In this  area with rains that last only for a couple of months per year, reservoirs of different sizes allow harvesting runoff from the rainy season for further use in the dry season. Overall they suffer from siltation. Yet, they strongly contribute to greening the landscape, either through irrigation or seepage water. Main reservoirs are: Settlements. The "tabia" centre Addi Worho holds a few administrative offices, a health post, a primary school, and some small shops. There are a few more primary schools across the "tabia". The main other populated places are: Vegetation and exclosures. The "tabia" holds several exclosures, areas that  are set aside for regreening, such as Khunale exclosure. Wood harvesting and livestock range are not allowed there. Besides effects on biodiversity, water infiltration, protection from flooding, sediment deposition, carbon sequestration, people commonly have economic benefits from these exclosures through grass harvesting, beekeeping and other non-timber forest products. The local inhabitants also consider it as “land set aside for future generations”. Agriculture and livelihood. Agriculture. The population lives essentially from crop farming, supplemented with off-season work in nearby towns. The land is dominated by farmlands which are clearly demarcated and are cropped every year. Hence the agricultural system  is a permanent upland farming system. The farmers have adapted their cropping systems to the spatio-temporal variability in rainfall. Schools. Almost all children of the "tabia" are schooled, though in some schools there is lack of classrooms, directly related to the large intake in primary schools over the last decades. Schools in the "tabia" include Khunale school. History and culture. History. The history of the "tabia" is strongly confounded with the history of Tembien. Religion and churches. Most inhabitants are Orthodox Christians. The following churches are located in the "tabia": Section::::"Inda Siwa", the local beer houses. In the main  villages, there are traditional beer houses ("Inda Siwa"), often in unique settings, where people socialise. Well known in the "tabia" are Roads and communication. The main road Mekelle – Hagere Selam – Abiy Addi runs at the southern edge of the "tabia". There are regular bus services to these towns. Further, a rural access road links Tinsehe and Addi Werho to the main asphalt road. Tourism. Its mountainous nature and proximity to Mekelle make the "tabia" fit for tourism. As compared to many other mountain areas in Ethiopia the villages are quite accessible, and during walks visitors may be invited for coffee , lunch or even for an overnight stay in a rural homestead. Geotouristic sites. The high variability of geological formations and the rugged topography invite for geological and geographic tourism or "geotourism". Geosites in the "tabia" include: Birdwatching. Birdwatching (for the species, see the main Dogu'a Tembien page) can be done particularly in the tropical forest at the foot of the Tinsehe waterfall. Trekking routes. Trekking routes have been established in this "tabia". The tracks are not marked on the ground but can be followed using downloaded .GPX files.