Jubba River

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Bridge over the Jubba in Baardheere, Somalia

The Jubba River (Somali: Webi Jubba) is a river in southern Somalia which begins at the border with Ethiopia where the Dawa and Gebele rivers meet, and flows directly south to the Indian Ocean, where it empties to the ocean at Goobweyn.

The Jubba basin region is primarily savanna, and is the richest part of the country due to its fertile farming land. Native wild life include giraffes, cheetahs, lions, leopards, hyenas, buffalos, hippopotamus, crocodiles, oryx, gazelles, camels, ostriches, jackals, and wild donkeys.

The area receives some of the most rain fall in Somalia, and years in which Jubba River has flooded include 1960 (causing a great loss of life). The Dyr rainy season during October through December 1997 was devastating. Floods on the Jubba breaking its banks and nearly two months of continous rain left some historic figures in terms of livestock lost and other damages caused by rain water. The Gu' rainy season normally occurs between late March through May.

The floods of 1997 was known as the Deyrtii Biyobadan or roughly the translation is The Watery Fall of 1997. The Bardera Region is situated on the Jubba Valley enclave, and thus is prone to get floods during heavy rain seasons.

During the 1997 devastating rainy season, livestock from all Jubba regions, Gedo, Middle Jubba and Lower Jubba were herded on the mountainous areas of Gedo for safekeeping out of heavy floods on low-lying grazing areas. Many families lost their herds in 1997 due to rain, night colds and skin diseases caused by continuous wetness. Camel herders suffered the most loss because camels' flat feet got wet and easily torn by stones, rocks and sticks on the ground. Foot infection became common. Also, the camels' soft and fatty chest area, good for weight distribution when seated, got wet and became open sores which ultimately caused death to the animal. The combination of these two achilles heels on the camels' bodies made camel herders lose their herds in the scores.

The Juba River gives its name to the Somali administrative regions of Middle Juba and Lower Juba as well as to the larger historical region of Jubaland. Major cities which the Jubba River passes by include Doollow, Luuq, Buurdhuubo, Beledhawo, Baardheere, Saakow and Goobweyn near Kismaayo.