BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
Urban investments across the African continent are at an all-time high. Yet, the nature of these investments differs starkly across cities. Many of them are driven by political considerations. For example, in Addis Ababa, a city that has made enormous strides in the past two decades, a new urban aesthetic is emerging.
Since coming to power in 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration has initiated several urban megaprojects. These include LaGare, a 36-hectare real estate project, and a 56 km riverside renewal scheme dubbed ‘Beautifying Sheger’. At the same time, various parks, including the Entoto, Unity and Friendship parks among others are operational.
All the projects are intended to give Africa’s political capital a facelift, and generate revenue through promoting urban tourism. Concurrently, various activities are underway to keep the cleanliness of the city and beautify it.
The Ethiopian Herald approached Addis Ababa City Administration, Cleansing Management Agency, Reusing and Recycling Center Administration Directorate Director Kassahun Tsegaye noted that the Office is working untiringly to keep the city clean through exercising effective waste management practices and disposing wastes appropriately.
As to him, Addis Ababa is a city that populates a large number of populations that could generate huge amount of wastes in the poor facilities. Due to this, wastes disposed from households pose a lot of burden in the ecosystem and on nation’s economy. Needless to say that poor waste management contributes to climate change and air pollution, and directly affects many ecosystems and species.
The Agency is working to minimize the undesirable impact of the wastes and maintain the cleanness of the city. In this regard, in the first half year of the Ethiopian budget year, by collecting and separating solid wastes that can be reused and recycled, citizens engaged in collecting and disposing wastes from the capital, generated 73, 476,584 Birr from sell of solid wastes amounted 30,729 tons.
As to him, the aforesaid income was generated by creating market linkage among those engaged in the area of collecting wastes with associations and cleaning cooperatives that are producing items reusing and recycling solid waste and factories.
Though the city was projected to generate 60,000 tons of solid paper waste annually, the amount of wastes that are used in the recycling process is far below the estimation, said the Director.
To alleviate the problem, discussions are being held with stakeholders and cooperative unions to increase the income of people engaged in the waste collection through proper solid paper waste management. Efforts are also underway to scale up the attitude towards turning waste into wealth.
According to the Director, during the past six month considerable number of job opportunities was created for citizens in the area of reusing and recycling solid wastes. 394 people in solid waste recycling and processing activities are employed. Furthermore, with the aim of raising the awareness of the communities with regard to reused and recycled materials, exhibitions were staged in Yeka, Bole, Arada, and Gulele Sub-cities.
It is crystal clear that waste management is becoming a big challenge for mega in many developing countries mainly due to the magnitude of rapid urbanization and increasing population growth which in turn have greatly accelerated the municipal solid waste generation rate in the urban environment.
Addis Ababa, as it is the capital city of Ethiopia and the diplomatic center of Africa, where the African Union is head-quartered located, keeping its beauty is not only necessary but also mandatory
The Ethiopian Herald March 6/2022
