Ethiopia is building GERD only to supply electricity to its citizens and neighboring countries to meet the internationally agreed energy scientific obligations. By doing so, it addresses the economic and social needs of its people and even beyond.
Consistent with the provision of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal and African Union, nations should ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
When energy supplies are insufficient, employment is hindered. There will certainly be an abundance of health issues, lack of goods and services. Hence economic growth will be stunted and poverty will remain affecting millions.
Therefore energy supplies must be sustainable and diverse. As energy is the driver for development, sustainable energy is the encouragement for sustainable development.
And in Ethiopia, a population which is more than the current population of France has no access to electricity, but rely on solid fuels such as wood and charcoal for subsistence, which cause emphysema and other respiratory diseases and has been killing many women and girls.
More specifically, over 65percent of Ethiopia’s population lives within 2.5 kilometers of medium-voltage transmission lines, but only about one-third of households, one-quarter of primary schools, and one-third of health clinics have access to grid electricity.
More importantly, this affects women and girls most; therefore, electrification can facilitate labour participation as well as economic productivity at home reducing international migration in search of a job opportunity.
Similarly, to cope up with the international communities in averting poverty through universal access to modern, reliable and sustainable energy, Ethiopia focuses on hydropower that insists to construct the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam-GERD- for critical reasons.
Hydropower is the largest single renewable electricity source of electricity at competitive prices. It dominates the electricity mix in several countries, developed, emerging or developing.
As well, Ethiopia believes that access to electricity must be environmentally and socially sustainable.
The UN initiative “Sustainable Energy for All” focuses on access to energy, energy efficiency and renewable energies. And Ethiopia hopes that this will help to eradicate poverty and leads to sustainable development and global prosperity.
Likewise, the Action Plan of Agenda 21 of the United Nations Environment Program emphasizes that renewable sources of energy should be encouraged to change consumption patterns. The distinguishing feature of renewable energy is that it is inexhaustible and thus, a critical part of sustainable development.
In different words, among the renewable energy resources, hydroelectric power is the only renewable energy that can be used for large-scale production to achieve environmental, social and economic development.
Consequently, Ethiopia relies on the principle that hydropower should be promoted and developed as a stimulus to increase the share and use of renewable energy all over the world.
For Ethiopia, the multi-services provided by the hydropower development and its technical advantages could be driving forces for local, regional and national development, and a catalyst for sustainable development.
Subsequently, the world should understand Ethiopia is constructing GERD to avert poverty through universal access to sustainable, clean, renewable and reliable and modern energy. And international, continental and regional organizations and nations must support Ethiopia’s stance. Ethiopia has the sovereign right to utilize its natural resource for the betterment of its citizens without jeopardizing other nations.
The Ethiopian Herald April 17/2021
