Purely, Ethiopia didn’t have, as it has been repeatedly elucidating, will never have even a negative sentiment against its neighboring countries and riparian partners, but all the time underscores its firm stance in due course utilizing water resources following a just fashion and a rightly directed trajectory.
Yes, the country has been, is, reflecting a firm stance in due course of utilizing water resources, peculiarly the Abbay one equitably and reasonably without harming any riparian nation as opposed to what some other neighboring nations are talking about it. It has definitely portrayed unwavering aspiration for an evenhanded and rational use of water resources for development endeavors.
Unequivocally, Ethiopia has been striving for ensuring its development through the effective utilization of natural resources, particularly that of the Abbay (Nile) river. True, the pivotal role of energy supply in addressing the 65 per cent of the total population of the country that leads life under darkness is untold and achieving sustainable development with a view to benefiting citizens as a whole has to come to the forefront.
Plainly, Ethiopia is seeking to correct past injustices and unfair shares of the precious resource—water—to enjoy in an equitable and reasonable manner, not requesting too much. Despite being endowed with abundant water resources in the Nile basin, the people of Ethiopia, more than half of course, have been deprived of their rights to use this resource to extricate themselves from grip of poverty in which they are right now immersing. That is why, it is recurrently heralded that for Ethiopia, accessing and utilizing its water resources is not a matter of choice, but an issue of existence and decisive survival.
Taking all this convincing ground into account, neighboring, as well as sisterly countries like Egypt and Sudan shall wholeheartedly back Ethiopia’s efforts to meet its energy needs through renewable sources such as hydropower. They are expected to consider all what Ethiopia is doing as a weapon of cooperation over the sentiment of confrontation, too.
In clear terms, the country is committed to utilizing its water resources in a fair and reasonable manner to drive its development and it does not have intention of harming any country, other than what Ethiopia is essentially doing is to utilize its water resources fairly and responsibly to ensure growth and prosperity. No doubt, the Grand Abbay Dam offers substantial benefits to downstream countries apart from its motherland, prime origin indeed! Hence, the dam has to serve as a center of cooperation and development over confrontation and resentment.
Surprisingly, being the owner of relatively abundant water recourses, even to the extent that the nation is regarded as ‘the water tower of Africa,’ a number of Ethiopians are suffering from lack of hydropower energy. When the country becomes committed to change this paradoxical notion, rich but poor anecdote, many are unknowingly or calculatingly interpreting its effort of enjoying fair and equitable water share as being green-eyed. These countries have to well analyze the intention behind Ethiopia’s effort and support it as much as they can.
Unwaveringly, as Ethiopia has a firm position to resolve disputes through dialogue based on international principles and equitable utilization of natural resources, its neighbors and riparian nations in particular and the international community in general should help the nation accordingly. However, any activity to stop Ethiopia’s development is inappropriate and ineffectual.
In sum, Ethiopia has all the time reflected a consistent stance of equitable and just water utilization. It is highly recommended for Ethiopia and Egypt to enjoy a great period of mutual cooperation, particularly concerning the Grand Abbay Dam, which Egypt has regarded as a threatening project, Ethiopia’s songs are all the time cooperation and equitable utilization.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2024
