BY MENGESHA AMARE
Ethiopia is carrying out economically viable, environmentally sensible and socially responsible hydroelectric projects threby coming up with sustainable developmentand addressing a range of socio-economic demands of its citizens.
The flagship of all Ethiopians unity and fraternity across the globe, the Abay Dam, is a regal hydroelectric plant targeting at fulfilling an ancient dream of Ethiopias. The Dam, which is a huge hydropower project, is about to be completed and will be the largest hydropower project in Africa.
BenishangulGumuz State, which is the center of the prime Ethiopian development icon—the Abay Dam, recently hosted World Tourism Day celebration 2022. The tourism industry is now showing progress as the country in genarl and regional states in particuualr are given due emphasis to the sector. As the major part of the tourism attraction sites, the Abay Dam has been a proved pathway to declare independence and keep sovereignity intact.
When Ethiopians were leading a subsistence life and the country was submissive of every drop poured from the US and some western powers, it was not that much exposed to the command of ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ since the country was that time under the entire control of the latter, the Adwa grudge remains the same.
The problem started coming from the country’s ambition to come out of poverty and backwardness via effectively utilizing its natural resources fundamentally from the case of the Abay Dam as well as its intention of being independent, well-to-do and quite a sovereign nation. Even the center of the more than twelve times convention of the United Nations Security Coucil was in one way or another the issue of the Abay Dam.
World Tourism Day under the theme, “Rethinking Tourism” was recently marked at Assosa town, Benishangul Gumuz State, where the Abay Dam is found. Tourism Minister, Nassissie Challi, launching the celebration of the Day said that of the numerous toursist attaraction sites found in the State, the Abay Dam with the 70 islands has come to the forefront as it is an emblem of independence and a valuable weapon to make poverty history.
She further elucidated that the construcation of this grand dam has prettily disproved the thoughtful reads, “Ethiopoia could hardly construct dams at its disposal as it is a poor nation. These days Ethiopians from every nook and crany of the universe, ranging from a poor woman to high profile investors, are making history and are about to effectively complete the grand Abay Dam, which is Ethiopia’s flagship of freedom, independence and source of pride.”
As to her, Benishangul Gumuz State is well endowed with numerous tourist attraction sites, natural and manmade heritages as well as minerals such as gold, marble, coal and others.
She further underscored that Ethiopia needs to transform the traditional way of running tourism activities into a modern approach so as to garner benefits it deserves out of the tourism sector.
According to Ambassador Nassisse, Ethiopia is highly endowed with numerous tourism potentials despite its low level of benefiting from the smokeless indudtry mainly due to the traditional means of utilizing tourism potentials and other related natural and manmade factors so far.
She further said that the tourism sector has helped the country boost poeple to people ties, cultural development and balance climate change impacts apart from providing it with economic and social benefit and building the image of Ethiopia well. The Abay Dam, particularly, she said, is of paramount importance in building the image of the country and balancing climate change ailments apart from becoming a viable energy source.
She also stated that the celebration would also be instrumental in grabbing the attention of citizens towards the Abay Dam, raising public awarensss about tourism and the numerous tourist attraction sites in the country in general and in the state in partucular.
She further elucidated that as Ethiopia has not yet benefited out of the tourism sector so far as it deserves, the rethinking or new approach would help the nation come up with paradigm shift thereby transforming the way the tourism sector has been treated for years.
Benisgangul Gumuz State President, Ashadli Hassen on his part stated that utilizing untapped resources properly and completing mega projects such as the Abay Dam within the shortest time possibly woul help build the image of the country and confidently tear the trap of aid dependency and enlist itself under the category of middle income countries.
He further explained that timely completing new projects like Gorgora, Wonchi, Koisha and other similar mega projects in different parts of the country is also of instrumental in making our country affluent apart from building its image.
The celebration of the day in the state is indespendible for paving the way to effectively utilize toursim potentials and attracting investors towards it, he added.
As to him, hydropower plant offers a number of advantages to Ethioppia since it has possessed a range of rivers that have not yet been effctivly utilized. “The Abay Dam is our pride, bold written identification card, a feasible means to make poverty history, a boarding pass for the country to easily and confidently line up with other developed nations whenever grand international or continental platforms are created.”
The hydropower generated from the Abay Dam is a renewable source of energy and fueled by water with a view to making a clean source of energy.
He said, “We are lucky engogh indeed! The Abay Dam is a domestic source of energy, allowing all parts of the nation to have their own energy without being reliant on international fuel sources.The Abay Dam is a hydropower source that has been providingthe country with a number of benefits beyond electricity generation by providing flood control, irrigation support, clean drinking water and minifying the impact of climate change. Energy would also be affordable as the Abay Dam provides all citizens of the country with low-cost electricity and durability over time compared to other sources of energy.”
The Dam is a giant natural resource that has to be well exploited to help Ethiopia get prospered via fairly and effectively utilizing its water.
“Surprisingly, the construction of a number of huge peojects in the country was held back following many factors. One of these projects, the Abay Dam, was exposed to such a malignant approach. Yes, the Abay Dam is our national pride, the manifestation of the new generation’s new patriotic gesture and concerted spirit for change as well as the confirmation of our capacity to deal with every undertaking as properly and timely possible. The effective completion of the third dam filling is also of an exihibition of Ethiopians firm commitment to change thier country. The Abay Dam is a miraculous weapon in the fight against poverty and a tool to help some 60 percent of Ethiopians breathe a sigh of relief,” he said.
He also said that building the Dam to bring light is a fundamental right for Ethiopians to bring electricity to the more than half population who don’t have access to it at home. In so doing, mothers who have given birth in the dark, girls who fetch wood for fire instead of going to school for centuries would be made history as through the grand project, Ethiopia will be a beacon of prosperity, and this sacred journey starts here—from Abay Dam.
Since lack of electricity in ethiopia has contributed to an economic lag that in turn has left the country in an immensely precarious situation, building a number of dams has to be weel capitalized. As it is also repeatedly heralded that the Abay Dam is close to completion thanks to all Ethiopians from every corner of the world for their relentless effort to make their country great all the time. Really, the Abay Dam is the well embossed national emblem that needs to be appropriately taken care of.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 4 OCTOBER 2022
