BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW
In its natural resource, agricultural development and environmental protection works, Ethiopia always give importance to conservation of resources like soil and water. While doing all these, it also keeps consideration of the benefits and interests of the other side that shares resources. This has been witnessed in the development of resources like hydroelectric power dams, The Green Legacy Initiative …etc.
Since day one of the launching of construction of GERD, Ethiopia has been working on handling the concerns of downstream countries. Ethiopia has been constructing the dam as per the schedule respecting the pledge it made to assure downstream countries that are highly concerned on the flow of Abbay waters.
For the third time, Ethiopia has shown that it does not have an evil interest in using the Abbay waters alone in order to bring significant harm to the downstream countries. Accordingly, the country has completed the third filling of its mega-dam reservoir on the Blue Nile, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has announced, a development that could raise further tensions with downstream neighbors Egypt and Sudan.
The announcement on August, 2022 comes a day after Ethiopia launched power production from the second turbine at the Abbay dam and the water has been flowing as usual after hitting the turbines which generate electricity. This entails that Ethiopia has been and is working as per pledge to the downstream countries.
Since the inception of the dam construction to the present, Ethiopia has never changed its stance and discourses over the Nile dam. However, the downstream countries mostly tend to echo their concerns at the time when Ethiopia prepares for the filling of the dam.
This way, they tried to disseminate the false narratives in order to change the mindset of others through making the Abbay dam a cause of disagreement rather than making it an issue of cooperation. This, however, would not bring a drop of water for them. They (the downstream countries) instead contribute their share for sustainability supporting the water shade development activities which still have been carried out throughout Ethiopia.
Approached by the local media, Bahir Dar, Debre Markos and Gambella university presidents have called on the downstream countries of Abbay River to support Ethiopia’s green development efforts and sustain water flow of the river as sticking to old narratives would not help the downstream countries.
Egypt, using the knowledge and experts of high caliber experts, water research institutions should take the prior responsibility of protecting the ecosystem connected works with the Abbay dam assisted with water experts. Bahir Dar University President doctor Frew Tegegn said that his university has conducted extensive studies and research on natural resources conservation activities on Abbay River and Tana Basin for over ten years.
Among the researches included the study on how to extend the lifespan of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) by three times by preventing sedimentation. The downstream countries should therefore assist Ethiopia in its Green Legacy initiative, a massive tree seedlings planting program, in order to prevent the impacts of climate change, the president underscored. Ethiopia’s green economy is also instrumental to ensuring a sustainable water flow in the lower riparian countries as the country is a major source of the Abbay, he added.
“When I look at it rationally, they (the downstream countries) should (even) contribute to the construction of the Renaissance Dam and the environmental initiatives because the project has huge benefits to the basin countries, and there are professional, ethical and international experiences which say countries have to pay for the services they get in the future.” However, the president lamented that the countries are not helping the efforts of Ethiopia and its people. Instead, they create unnecessary disputes.
Debre Markos University President, doctor Tafere Melaku stated on his part that adequate research activities have not been carried out considering the size of the watershed on Abbay River. According to him, although the downstream countries routinely undermine Ethiopia’s right to use and develop the river, their opposition has never been scientific. It is political, he noted.
“The countries, which are criticizing Ethiopia for using the river to generate power from the very outset, should think of working together to ensure a sustainable flow of Abbay water,” the president underscored. As a result, natural resources conservation is not being carried out in Abbay basin and this will impact negatively on the flow of the river, Tafere elaborated.
“To tell the truth, they have never thought that the water of Abbay River could disappear if sufficient environmental protection work is not done on it. This is the biggest and basic problem. If they (all the countries in the basin) work together and cultivate the natural resources in the basin, it will be possible to have water that is not only adequate for the riparian countries but also for others.”
The president finally called on Ethiopian universities to jointly work researches on Abbay River basin with universities of the downstream and upstream countries. Gambella University President, Ojulu Okock said environmental and green development endeavors of Ethiopia have to be supported by the downstream countries since the country is the major contributor to Abbay River.
Whatever happens, nothing stops Ethiopia from completing the dam which is expected to light more than 60 percent of the rural population who are still living in darkness. When the Ethiopian rainy season comes, the country will fill the fourth filling without significantly harming the downstream countries.
As it was stated above, Ethiopian universities should work with their Sudan and Egypt counterparts and make various studies which are viable to protect the ecosystem connected with the Abbay. On the other hand, instead of focusing on issues that separate them, they should work together for the matters that tie them up.
This is the only way that the three countries should put in place so as to get sustainable benefit from the dam as well as Abbay River. The issue of Abbay River as well as the dam will never be a source of conflict. Whether they accept it or not, the downstream countries will have gained a number of advantages from the dam. Thus, working hand and glove, they should be part of the development activities instead of instigating the ways of disparity.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 25 APRIL 2023
