Lake Haramaya is a well-known lake in eastern Ethiopia, close to the town of Haramaya in the Oromia region. The lake, which is part of the larger Ethiopian Rift Valley system, is known for its scenic beauty and ecological importance. It is also rich in biodiversity, with various fish and birds, making it an important habitat for local creatures. The surrounding marshes and forests sustain a broad range of flora and species.
For the local community, the Lake has cultural and economic importance. The place is known for agriculture and fishing. In addition, a lot of people go there to enjoy outdoor pursuits including fishing, birdwatching, and picnics. Its calm atmosphere draws people looking for leisure and natural appreciation.
Despite its economic, social, and environmental importance, the Lake, like many other Ethiopian lakes, used to face pollution and water level changes induced by climate change and human activities.
However, the lake functioned as the sole source of drinking water for the population of Haramaya and the surrounding towns, primarily Aweday and Harar, but it was dry. Even the dried-up lake was transformed into land, filled with agricultural activities, youngsters playing football, and animals grazing.
Mayor Efraha Wazir Abdulla (PhD) of the Maya City Administration previously told The Ethiopian Herald that the lake had dried up due to excessive lake and groundwater pumping, environmental deterioration, and climatic changes. Before it dried up, the lake provided a wonderful view and was utilized for drinking by both humans and animals. After it dried up, residents had to dig a 20-meter-deep well to get water, as life became difficult without it.
She recalled that Haramaya University (HU), one of Ethiopia’s oldest public universities which is located near Lake Haramaya, devised and began implementing the “Lake Haramaya Watershed Rehabilitation Project” with the primary purpose of recovering the lake. Furthermore, the lake is used as a demonstration place for students, teachers, and agricultural experts. This as a result helps the lake to be restored.
To restore the Lake, HU has initiated a number of research-based programs, according to Dine Rashid, coordinator of the Lake Haramaya Watershed Development Project. Additionally, the catchment area of the Lake was divided into three zones: lower, middle, and upper riparian. Around 400,000 fruit and forest saplings are planted annually in the upper basin by HU in addition to soil protection initiatives. In the core of the basin, more than 300 cubic meters of gabions are built annually to repair and rehabilitate the ground in areas that have been damaged and hollowed out.
HU organizes a cleanup program twice a year in partnership with university staff and local residents to stop waste and garbage pollution in the lake’s surroundings. He also mentioned that the university provides training and material assistance to the farmers who reside close to the lower base of the lake to enhance their knowledge of water use, management, and the importance of using water wisely.
According to him, the restoration and other environmental initiatives made it possible for the lake to be completely restored to its natural condition and its water level to rise annually.
HU Research and Community Engagement Vice President Dr. Isaac Yusuf said that three lakes in Haramaya now have higher water levels as a result of local conservation and environmental preservation initiatives. More significantly, the water levels in Tinike, Adele, and Haramaya lakes have been measured for the fifth time by Haramaya University in partnership with the Ministry of Water and Energy. Hence, it is evident that the lakes have grown in size and their water level increased.
He remembered that Haramaya Lake held 8.6 million cubic meters of water in 1986. However, the lake’s water level was declining, and it was even completely dry as a result of ineffective water and lake management. As a result, HU, in partnership with the community and relevant organizations, has undertaken numerous environmental preservation and conservation efforts.
HU rehabilitates the Lake by implementing a variety of environmental preservation measures in partnership with the local community. To analyze this finding, the lake’s water level has been rigorously measured every year. Particularly since 2013, and data has been collected to provide input for future study.
Annual soil and water conservation tasks around the lake assist in its restoration. The lake’s water level and size have increased since the university’s planting of several tree seedlings annually. For example, in 2016 E.C., the lake’s water volume was 9 million cubic meters, but in 2017 E.C., the lake’s water level increased to 12 million cubic meters, he explained.
Expert Birhanu Legese of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy, who has been measuring Haramaya Lake using bathometry for five consecutive years, indicated that the lake’s water level is increasing on an annual basis. In 2016 E.C., the lake’s greatest water level was 4 meters and no more than 20 cm. According to current data, the lake’s water level has reached 6 meters.
More importantly, the lake’s level has increased because of the watershed management and environmental protection projects being carried out in the lake basin, which have induced rainwater to submerge rather than flood. It has been verified that the water level in Tinike, Adele, and Haramaya lakes has risen this year.
In fact, HU and the local community’s collaboration in integrating the country’s greenery program, mainly the green legacy initiative, planting saplings, conserving soil and water, and hiring farmers to care for the planted seedlings made this result possible, he added.
The restoration and increase in lake water levels show how degraded land may be restored through environmental conservation initiatives and partnerships between local communities and universities. Rehabilitating and restoring the nation’s degraded lakes and land also requires better collaboration between universities, the local community, the city government, and other organizations. Therefore, in order to maintain sustainable water levels, the community needs to use the lakes properly. It is also crucial to plant tree seedlings and increase efforts to conserve soil and water, among other things.
forgotten and its role has diminished as we have been caught up in our troubles. It has become a country that is unable to free itself from its problems despite being revered as a symbol of African freedom. While being the seat of the African Union, it is a country that is beset by its own internal division and discord making it vulnerable to the machination of its external enemies. What kind of message does this convey to those who consider us to be an example of unity and freedom? The center of gravity for African unity has been the peace and unity of Ethiopia. If the peace and unity of Ethiopia are further eroded, this generation should be held responsible in the annals of history.” (pg.136)
Ethiopia is an independent country, showing its remarkable power and strength to the other African countries. Many other Africans looked to Ethiopia with a sense of pride and hope. Ethiopia has so many admirable qualities including having its alphabet and just its beautiful landscape, but most of all it never backed down from any European power.
“These projects that have been executed over the past few years have created an interest in visiting parks and recreational sites such as Entoto, Sheger and Unity Park. When such sites become more and more common in Ethiopia, the tendency to be fascinated with all things foreign will diminish and there will be more desire to appreciate what we have in the country. Instead of Ethiopians going abroad to see the world, we could also have the world coming to see Ethiopia… St. Lalibela wondered why Ethiopians were going all the way to Jerusalem and why we could not go to Jerusalem in Ethiopia.” (pg.126)
I was privileged enough to go to newly constructed museums and renovated recreational parks that are located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I was able to witness great improvements and these modernized locations truly were remarkable. The author’s ability to construct these parks highlights Ethiopia’s natural characteristics of the landscape and also uses the historical location to display the unique artifacts our country holds. The fact that Generation Medemer is growing up in a country that displays their history so that the kids can go and see the very beautiful things that not all Africans are privileged enough to do. Sadly, today’s Ethiopia no longer represents all of the desirable qualities it used to represent.
In conclusion, this book was very informative and persuasive. Seeing that a lot of the plans mentioned in this book have already come into action is truly admirable. I think the problem with today’s Ethiopian society is their mentality. Ethiopia’s political and economic issues didn’t come overnight, it has been manifesting over many generations. And now it has reached its limit to the point where it can’t be ignored. People nowadays are searching for a leader to take away all the problems overnight when it’s going to take a while. But we need people who idolize the Medemer philosophy to take it one day at a time. If everyone put their opinions aside and started working towards a common goal, as a unified country, maybe then we would be witnessing progress. If you want to see change, it all starts from within. Unfortunately, today’s Ethiopia is filled with greed. Everyone wants to be prosperous for themselves and not for the country.
BY EPHREM ANDARGACHEW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 24 DECEMBER 2024
