An Oral History Study of Social Memory and Flood Resilience in Tuti Island, Greater Khartoum, Sudan

Felci, VittorioMalmö universitet,Institutionen för konst, kultur och kommunikation (K3) (author)

This article presents the initial findings of an interdisciplinary oral history study on community resilience co-created with inhabitants of Tuti, an island located at the confluence of the White and Blue Nile in the Sudanese capital of Greater Khartoum. The primary focus of this study is the intersection of life in Tuti with the environment with particular attention to extreme flood events, a recurrent phenomenon in the history of the island. Oral history techniques revealed the complexities of an imbued social memory that links the community to past floods and takes the form of a set of resources that Tutians mobilize to manage floods. Situating social memory as the conceptual framework for analysis, this study explores the traditional flood management system of tayas (تاية). It then highlights the role of cultural values for shaping collective action in response to flood events, with particular attention to the mobilizing tactic of nafeer (نفیر). The importance of place attachment for shaping social memory and community resilience is also discussed. This article demonstrates the analytical value of oral history for studying human-environment interaction in Africa and elsewhere.

Altom, AyaKhartoum Univ, Khartoum, Sudan. (author)
Malmö universitetInstitutionen för konst, kultur och kommunikation (K3) (creator_code:org_t)

In:International Journal of African Historical Studies: African Studies Center55:3, s. 347-3720361-78822326-3016

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