BY DARGIE KAHSAY
Out of the 12 big rivers flowing throughout the year in Ethiopia, 11 are transboundary ones flowing to almost all neighbouring countries and beyond. The Blue Nile (Aka River Nile), the longest river in the world is one among these international rivers originating from Ethiopia benefiting hundreds of millions of people in East and Horn of Africa.
But the water regime of these basins is seriously affected and is likely to be affected as the natural ecology of these Ethiopian highlands where these international rivers originate from are becoming affected seriously due to climate change, expansion of agricultural land, deforestation, land degradation and unwise use of natural resources , overgrowing population.
Since the water availability depends on the natural ecology and forest coverage, the continued land degradation and other effects on the nature of these areas directly will affect the water volume and regular flow of these rivers.
Unless quick recovery mechanisms are applied, shortly it may lead to water shortage in these countries. Understanding this problem and its predictable effects in the long run and to increase its forest coverage in general, Ethiopia started reforestation, environmental protection and basin development strategies.
At the national level, Ethiopia’s forest coverage almost decreased to three per cent decades ago and with huge efforts, during the past few decades, Ethiopia increased its forest coverage to 15 per cent. With the ambitious campaign of the Green Legacy Initiative during the past three years, Ethiopia planted over 18 billion tree seedlings across the country targeting affected areas mainly. With these efforts, according to a recent government report, Ethiopia’s forest coverage has increased to 17 per cent. Continuing its ambitious efforts of green legacy, Ethiopia is working to develop its forest coverage to 30 per cent by 2030.
With this ambition of covering degraded lands with afforestation initiative, Ethiopia gives due attention to the River Basins especially the Blue Nile water basins to protect its giant hydropower dam, GERD from sediments and to protect the natural ecology of the water origins to save the natural flow of the river. Appreciating these efforts, experts in the sector are arguing that the efforts are too small and too slow especially in taking research-based solutions to protect basin areas.
The experts in the sector also underlined that, though these rivers originate from Ethiopia, they are regional resources and hundreds of millions of people are dependent on these rivers. Hence, investing in green development and natural conservation of Ethiopian highlands must be regional. Otherwise, in the long run those countries and their people may face water crises.
For the experts, the countries that are benefiting waters of Ethiopian rivers should think about the future of these rivers and should try to cooperate with Ethiopia to protect the ecology of the water origins to protect the annual regular flow of the rivers. Especially in this regard, the downstream countries of the Nile River, Egypt and Sudan should give special attention to protect the origins of the Nile Water, the Ethiopian Highlands.
Solomon Teka, Project Management, Environmental Protection and Art Affairs Director with Office of National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation on the Construction of the GERD told The Ethiopian Herald that Ethiopia is trying its best to develop the Abbay (Nile) River Basins and the mountains that the water origins are emerging especially following the commencement of the construction of the GERD.
According to Solomon, the Abbay River Basin (Blue Nile) in Ethiopia covers around 40 per cent of Ethiopia’s agricultural land, over 22 per cent of the 110 million populations settled in this River Basin and cover three regional states, Amhara, Oromia and Benishangul/Gumuz. As the major source of agricultural production, the traditional way of farming has affected the area and the river basin, he added.
Following the commencement of the construction of the GERD, Ethiopia gives attention to the development of this basin especially since 2013, Solomon added.
Project Management and Environmental Protection Senior Expert with Project Management, Environmental Protection and Art Affairs Directorate at Office of National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation on the Construction of the GERD, Kebede Woldemariam on his part told The Ethiopian Herald that the Abbay River Basin (Blue Nile) is densely populated and the topography is mountainous.
In addition, Kebede stated, due to the suitability of the area for agricultural production and since the farming mechanism is practicing traditionally for a long period, the water origins and the basins are affected and need recovery mechanisms.
In an interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Senior Forest Ecologist at Forest, Environment and Climate Change Commission (ECC), Yitebitu Moges (PhD) on his part said that Ethiopian Rivers are regional resources, adding, any natural
or manmade effect of the rivers and their origins has an effect on the region.
Dr Yitebitu stated that the highlands, water sources of the Horn of Africa Rivers are degraded and the land is affected as they lose their nature through time. These mountains and highlands are almost deforested and the soil is being eroded from time to time.
According to the experts and the official, though there are efforts here and there to protect the natural ecology of the basins and beyond, the activity is too small and also unorganized.
In this regard, the ongoing works on the Abbay River (Blue Nile) are exemplary though a lot remains, Solomon said. He reiterated that to protect the GERD from the saddle, Ethiopia launched annual terrain activities and other protection and conservation mechanisms in the maintenance of Abbay River sources and basins.
For the last eight years, an annual land conservation mechanism was implemented and new seedling plantation gets special attention in the river basin especially following the Green Legacy Initiative during the past three years, he added. During these years, Solomon said, farmers and pastoralists in the three regions implemented huge land conservation mechanisms during January and February. During these years, the peoples’ in-kind contribution to the conservation works can be estimated at over Birr 121 billion.
Though the nature-based natural resource was affected and degraded, with researched actions, man can restore nature to the previous ecological system. For the success of the greenery agenda and recovering affected land, access to finance, allocated land and trained experts in the sector are very necessary with the powerful institution at the national level, Yitebitu added.
Yitebitu stated that Ethiopia is planting billions of trees by mobilizing the mass, “this is a good effort to increase the country’s forest coverage, but it must be scientific and should be supported with research”
According to Yitebitu, not only the Blue Nile River but also 11 rivers are flowing to neighbouring countries and conserving the sources and basins of these rivers must be the agenda of all the countries benefiting from these water sources. “Seven countries in the region are dependent from Rivers originating from Ethiopian highlands, Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt are using waters from 11 Ethiopian River” Yitebitu noted.
The beautiful highlands of Ethiopia are affected and degraded through time and need recovery including the river basins of these international rivers” Yitebitu said.
Ethiopian Rivers are regional resources and the countries that are using these rivers should not consider these resources as extra resources, these are vital for the livelihood of their people.
Hence, the Ecologist argued the recovery of the Ethiopian highland areas and the development of the River basins is not only the responsibility of Ethiopia. Since these areas and Rivers are the water sources of eight countries, protecting and developing the ecology and natural forest of these areas must be the agenda of all these countries.
If the countries give attention to the development of these basins and their water sources, Yitebitu reiterated, these Rivers can boost cooperation and integration among the countries. The investment in the conservation and reforestation of these highlands must get attention from all the countries that are drinking the waters from these rivers, he added.
Solomon also underlined that Ethiopia is investing its maximum efforts to conserve these basins and water sources especially the Blue Nile River Basin and the highlands, adding the downstream countries should support Ethiopia’s efforts to conserve the basins for their interest. Kebede buying Solomon’s idea said that all these countries are sharing the waters from these Rivers; hence, the countries should give attention to the sustainability of these rivers cooperating with Ethiopia. For Kebede and Solomon, this can help the countries to have a sustainable water source and also helps to boost their cooperation.
“Especially the downstream countries of the Nile Basin, Egypt and Sudan should withdraw from the rhetoric of ‘historic right’ to use the Nile Waters rather they should give attention for the development of the basin and water sources of the River,” Yitebitu added.
In this regard, the experts argued, Ethiopia should also mobilize these countries. “If the countries cooperate enthusiastically, they can make a difference,” they argued. This can strengthen their cooperation and diplomatic cooperation of the countries, in addition to having sustainable and regulated water for the future.
“These Rivers are big cooperation opportunities since they integrate the destiny of the people in these countries” Yitebitu noted.
According to them the efforts that Ethiopia is investing in conservation mechanisms in the basins have a direct positive implication for the water beneficiaries originating from Ethiopia. So, cooperation to develop these rivers is not an option but a must to these countries, they argued.
The Ethiopian Herald October 2/2021
