Ethiopia is going Green

                                                                                                                         Desta Hailu

The climate change has been the concern of the globe. This change, through drought, has been responsible for the decrease in agriculture productivity. Not only this. It’s come to attention that it’s also responsible for depletion of the Ozone and the many challenges the world is facing right now. Many analysts agree that, the increase in greenhouse gases that make their way into the atmosphere, and the depletion of trees, as the source of these problems.

In order to address the issue, many agree that, decreasing the emission of greenhouse gases, strengthening national resource conservation, focus on forestry and vegetation development and adhering to a green development strategy is the way to go.  It’s not that hard to understand the huge effect climate change has on an economy that’s based on agriculture-productivity. Appreciating this fact, Ethiopia is adhering to a green development strategy; with in mind to combat the negative impact climate change has on agricultural productivity.

In addition to making the people beneficiary from the development, the strategy is also compatible with its environment - as can be seen from the results that are gained. So, in this article I will try to probe into the works and progress Ethiopia is making in relation to its utilization of green economic development.

As it is known, each country has to identify its problems and give solutions in order to adapt to the changing climate. In relation to this, the Federal environment protection authority has been doing many works to identify these problems.

For this, there should be a scan made to identify positive experiences and technology that would increase product and productivity, stop environmental degradation, provide the necessary good and service needed to develop the environment, all the while creating job opportunities and being compatible to the task ahead.

Taking into the environment protection works that have been undertaken by various stakeholders, the Federal environment protection authority has been trying to spread these positive experiences and technology to different corners of the country.

As a consequence, the authority has been able to import and implement green plant and fruit development technology in our country. The technology integrates plant and fruit development with soil and water terracing works that aims to lessen the damage that’s imposed in crop production in mountainous and steep lands.

Not only is the technology improving the income of the society, it has helped many youths turn to various other income generating opportunities and options by breaking them free from making their living by harming the environment – like cutting trees.

In addition to this, it helps the transformation of the agriculture economy to an industrial one. The technology also can expand the source of income by integrating the high-reward development works of sowing crops, trees, fruits and vegetable, developing and raising livestock, and beekeeping.

On top of the good vibe it inflicts on the economy, it plays a huge role in lessening the pressure on extracting natural resources. By implementing physical and natural environmental works, the technology is helping in increasing the fertility of soil by rehabilitating degraded lands and areas.

In other hand, the technology is also responsible for the raise in the variety of plants and animals. It also helps the effort to create clean and green areas for recreational purpose, considering an area being covered by variety of plants will be eye-catching to people.

Out of the technologies that are employed for environment protection, the technology that rehabilitates degraded areas by quarantining them from animal and human contact is one. The technology will play its own role from the perspective of rehabilitating degraded lands and areas that are deteriorated in quality of resources as a consequence of shrinking vegetation cover and loss of soil fertility.

With regards to rehabilitating degraded areas and lands, the technology is compatible to the areas and can be implemented on the landscape. It also has enabled wide ranging works to be done by identifying a way by which the terracing work goes side by side with income generating scheme so that it benefits the surrounding society. In turn it helps members of the society improve their skills and ability, and provide the incentive for them to rehabilitate and re-green degraded areas. It has also helped the local community stop from fleeing to other area as a direct result of degraded environment.

In addition to this, it contributes its own part in the government’s ‘prevention first’ health strategy, by spurring many households into planting and using (eating) garden fruits and vegetables. As a result, varieties of plants and animals that were lost are growing back. On top of its major contribution to environment protection, the technology also is creating link with the supply chain – augmenting its acceptance by the public. As its economic benefits are rewarding, it is guaranteeing its sustainability on the market.

As its known, in order to rehabilitate degraded lands, planting various indigenous trees is the main option. For this, we need to intensively use many seed stations.

With regards to opening an opportunity for investors involved in the sector market high-rewarding plant, fruit and vegetable yields, the technology is contributing a lot. And it has also been able to augment the income of people organized in micro and small- scale enterprises by interweaving producing crops, fruit, and vegetable yields.

The other technology that’s being utilized as a support to environment protection includes Bamboo development. As both dry and highland based bamboo tree can be utilized for fueling and burning, construction, household and industrial utilities, it can rack up income in addition to marketing Bamboo-made art and crafts. 

According to experts, as bamboo has long and interweaving roots, it can hold up soil. It also helps in decreasing global warming by capturing greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide). In addition to this, it helps rehabilitate degraded lands. Thus, the government is focusing and working on it. I think here, we should also be looking at our day-to-day tools, in addition to the efforts being exerted to improve environment protection and conserve the nature.

This is because; our country is using solar technologies to generate electric power alternatively, in order to curb the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This technology enables to generate electric power by absorbing solar energy. The electric power that’s generated from this particular technology is renewable, and can be used sustainably.

As it can be utilized at any landscape and sun-rich areas, it has become much sought after product in our country. Here, it’s necessary to raise the positive contribution the technology has on social issues – by mentioning that it contributes largely in lowering harms related to health through creating a clean and modern cooking stove.

Considering most of the population of the country is smallholder farmer, it serves as an important option in providing electric power by being accessible in places without electric grid. Also, as it lowers the greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere from traditional cooking stoves, it contributes in lessening environmental pollution. It lessens the pressure exerted on the vegetation and forest coverage as well. Moreover, as it doesn’t utilize motor or fuel as an energy source, it’s free from sound pollution.

On the top of this, the country’s adhered green economy creates a further conducive environment to utilize the technology. Making use of natural and physical environment conservation schemes on sidelines of infrastructures and elongating their expiry dates is one of the ways that can help lower environmental pollution. It’s a technology that helps stop roads from sliding, and save electric power generating and irrigation dams from the soil siltation by planting various water and soil conservation physical structures. In this sector, smallholder farmers around the country are making various terraces by caring for the rivers found in their local drainage system. Generally, there’s no denying that things have changed in Ethiopia by government’s green economic strategy. I hope in the near future Ethiopia is going green.