In Ethiopia, agriculture is characterized by unsustainable use of natural resources, leading to soil erosion and land degradation. High population growth is also aggravating the effects particularly in the highlands. Pressure on land is also increasing in the lowlands owing to declining of grazing areas and the expansion of invasive plant species.
On the other hand, climate change is impacting agricultural productivity negatively. As a result, food insecurity is becoming a growing concern whilst eco-regions are increasingly endangered.
Last week, Oromia Water and Energy Resources Development Bureau, Water and Land Resources Center (WLRC) of Addis Ababa University and Nestle Waters Ethiopia (NWE) jointly organized a symposium to launch “Integrated Landscape Management and Protection (ILMP) Project for upper Sululta watershed.”
At the symposium, the findings of the socio-economic and bio-physical baseline study of the 2016-2018, and the integrated landscape management proposal were presented to symposium participants.
According to Omar Salah, Chief Executive Officer of NWE, over the past years, the WLRC has been conducting an in-depth socio-economic and bio-physical study with a total of 3.5 million Birr gained from NWE. Consequently, taking into account the findings of the study, Sululta Watershed Integrated Landscape Management and Protection (ILMP) was developed.
“The study was dedicated to analysis of bio-physical and socio-economic situations to identify the prevailing challenges and opportunities and design ILMP.”
As to him, with the aim to empower local community, authorities and industries for sustainable water resource management, his office has entered into a long term partnership with WLRC to develop an ILMP.
Upper Sululta Watershed, being at the edge of the expanding Addis Ababa, is transferring into an urban settlement, small scale industrial, and agro-industrial area speedily; but with very little consideration to sustainability. This situation could impact the watershed, the communities, and the environment unless long-term plan which ensures sustainable co-existence of human activity with water resource management is developed, he opined.
This initiative, hence, can be taken as a mode to boosting the role of the Private-Public Partnership in terms of contributing, supporting and promoting better and sustainable environment, he added.
Dr. Gete Zeleke, Director of Water and Land Resource Center at Addis Ababa University, told to The Ethiopian Herald that Sululta
has an interesting landscape and bio-physical condition with an average rainfall of 1200mm per year.
All the agro-ecology, landscape the rainfall is conductive environment for human being and so for different agro-ecological based farming systems in general.
“Nestle Waters has approached us to conduct a study in Sululta and develop a project proposal; with a focus on collective action for sustainable water resource use and management as core of organization’s water stewardship commitment,” he indicated.
After conducting different consultation meetings with the community, administrative bodies and the project steering committee, a detailed bio-physical and socio-economic baseline survey is conducted.
In the study about 20 researchers and scientists such as Hydro-Geologist, Architectures, Agriculturalists, Land Management Specialists, Socio-Economic Analyst, Agronomist and other experts have taken part. The survey focuses on identifying potentials and challenges of the area, as he presented on the symposium.
According to him, as the findings of the study indicated, six major and broad findings were reported – weak institutional capacity and governance issue, poor coordination between the rural and urban areas, environmental degradation – up to 65 percent slope was cultivated without any proper management practice and unregulated urban expansion with poor management and less consideration to the potential of the land and ecosystem functions.
The most important finding is that the hydrology-geology verses the urban expansion. The researchers found that the hydrology-geology is largely covered by porous permeable layer with many fissures. The last major finding is the flooding issue, the lower part of the town expansion is totally on the flooding zone, Dr. Gete elaborated.
Based on
the key findings, the researchers have designed a comprehensive project
proposal, the Integrated Landscape Management and Protection (ILMP). The
project proposal is unique because it addresses both the rural and urban
landscapes and communities; and
it follows area-based approach principle – no part of the watershed left untreated and none will be left alone – both the rural and urban population are target groups, he added.
As to him, the project focuses on the best and rational use of the natural resources of the area for betterment of community without bargaining their ecosystem functions and services.
As shown on the project proposal, the project captures major challenges and opportunities of the area and suggests development option. For instance, enhancing institutional capacity within the urban and rural system, proper protection of the wetlands, the water recharge and, the forest areas and proper management of the agricultural landscape, as well as management of the natural resources particularly the graded hillsides, the forest zone and built up of the green recreational centers for employment are few among others.
The proposed landscape management interventions address eleven environmental, socio-economic and resource governance issues implemented within the coming 15 years (2019-2033) with a total capital of over 70, million USD, divided into three phases , he remarked.
Roza Umer, Sululta Town Mayoress for her part said that developing and implementing such kind of comprehensive and integrated sustainable project plan needs to tap the potential of private sectors for effective and profound collaboration with government, NGO’s, communities, and others development actors.
However, the project needs huge investment and the total budget is above town’s capacity. “Therefore, we are very keen to request other private sectors, donors, development practitioners, sister towns and NGO’s to collaborate with us in terms of financial and technical support to implement this visionary project on the ground and make Sululta Town a model eco-city in the region and the country at large.”
The project also hopefully reduces the major problem of the town by creating job opportunity for youths, she indicated.
Dr. Eng. Fekadu Fufa, Head of Oromia Urban Development Bureau, stated on the opening of the symposium that the project has a keen ambition to demonstrate water stewardship to manage the scarce groundwater sources through implantation of a well-designed feasible long-term project at Sululta. Thus, strong collaboration and involvement of stakeholders particularly local communities in realizing such a project should be given due attention.
He reiterated that in any country with a wider economic opportunities and emerging economy of spreading private and public enterprises competing for profits, the issue of ethical business operation and social responsibilities come into question.
Yet, shared value business principles should become more mainstreamed as forward-thinking companies embed sustainability into the core of their business operations to create shared value among the business sectors and with the community they work with.
“In most cases, in our planet the environmental and social impacts of investments not well shared and considered by private sectors. And, I would like to appreciate this project as a good start and initiative. If implemented at the desired level, it could serve as a model for other private sectors too.”
He expressed that the implementation of such a project should not undermine community participation, as there is no success in any project without maintaining the economic and environmental health of the local communities. Therefore, he also said that, he would take this opportunity to call on all the interested partners to collaborate through all the required inputs to convert this project in to reality and join the journey of timely responding to the drinking water demands of Sululta Town residents and the surrounding communities.
Herald April 24/2019
BY ABDUREZAK MOHAMMED
