Kibiro

Kibiro is a small fishing village in Uganda that lies on the south-eastern shore of Lake Albert The residents of the village are unable to produce their own agricultural products, and must trade with other communities for most of their necessities. Residents of Kibiro support themselves primarily through the production and trade of salt. Due to its cultural value, this site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on September 10, 1997.

Kibiro is located at the bottom of the Western Rift Valley on the Continent of Africa, and on the South-eastern shore of Lake Albert. "Kibiro is in a rain shadow and has markedly less rain than the adjacent country" It is known for having a windy and hot climate, with yearly temperatures ranging between 22.0 °C and 29.3 °C “The coastal plain at Kibiro is in the shape of a triangle; with its base formed by the bottom of the escarpment it is appreciably wider than the narrow plain to its north-east, while to its south-west between Kibiro and Hoimo there is in places no plain at all”. “There is no road to Kibiro, the main access being a steep footpath down the escarpment. The soil at Kibiro is shallow and rocky and the adjacent escarpment creates a local rain shadow. The present village of Kibiro is a settlement of relatively scattered dwellings extending for several kilometers along the coastal plain. It is divided into two main parts by the Mukihanga Valley: the larger part of the village lies to the south-west and is known as Bubare, the part to the north-east is known as Kihenda. The coastal plain at Kibiro has two levels: a slightly higher area of gently sloping, usually stony ground that abuts the escarpment base; and a lower, flatter, often swampy, sand area adjacent to the lake but separated from it by two beach ridges.

The production of salt in Kibiro is an important industry. Kibiro’s economy revolves around salt. “Without its salt industry Kibiro would probably be merely a small fishing village, lacking its extensive and deep archaeological deposits”. The salt is produced exclusively by women. “The production of salt at Kibiro is based on leaching of saline soil, the resulting brine is then boiled to evaporate the water”. The process of salt production in Kibiro is a bit more sophisticated than others. The process used to produce the salt in Kibiro constantly reuses the same soil. “This recycling is accomplished by the repeated spreading of loose dry soil on the surface of a damp salt-bearing deposits, from which sun-induced capillary action draws out salty moisture”. The process of winning the salt entailed techniques that were more tedious than the relatively simple harvesting methods employed at the crater lakes on the equator. With the unique technique that is done to produce salt, it is believed that Kibiro will most likely never run out of salt, the only way in which the salt would run out is if the hot springs dry up, but before that is an actual possibility, it is believed that the salt-workers are more likely to run out of firewood. The Bunyoro shore of Lake Albert has relatively few resources except the salt produced at Kibiro and formerly at other places.

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Wikipedia