Small-scale water harvesting structure in Ethiopia (RAIN)
Ethiopia is a land of hydrological contrasts. Its uneven, often unpredictable distribution of water greatly impacts its efforts to address poverty. With its huge hydropower potential, Ethiopia has become a poster child for the dam industry, which contends that big dams are critical for ending its poverty. International donors are supporting the Ethiopian government's plans to build some of Africa’s largest dams to promote the export of agricultural commodities and hydropower. But most development analysts believe the rural poor need smaller-scale water projects more suited to meeting their immediate needs.
Ethiopia's 12 major watersheds support a booming population, most of whom are small-scale farmers and pastoralists. These watersheds face ongoing degradation and erosion, making the livelihoods of rural communities who depend on them more vulnerable. Large dams are a poor match for local people's problems. Water for irrigation from large reservoirs is mostly earmarked for large-scale agricultural producers; meanwhile, Ethiopia’s small farmers cannot store seasonal rainfall needed for raising food. Hydropower dams lack the extensive distribution lines needed to reach the country’s rural population, where only 2% have access to electricity.
Dam development in Ethiopia is a heavily politicized issue and there is virtually no space for civil society to criticize the government’s dam plans. Government repression is on the rise, and new laws make it very difficult for NGOs to speak out. Virtually all of Ethiopia’s existing large dams have overlooked the displacement and other effects on local communities. Communities who were resettled in 1999 and 2000 for the first Gilgel Gibe Dam on the Omo River say they are worse off today and that their problems are not being addressed by the government. Project planning and development for more dams on the Omo are not transparent and exclude the affected communities from meaningful participation.
Ethiopia’s economy is increasingly at risk of disruption from drought and climate change. In 2003, Ethiopia suffered a severe drought that affected both sectors. Agricultural exports dropped and nearly a fifth of the population required food aid. The electricity sector faced six months of power rationing and a loss of $200 million in annual productivity.
Ethiopia has huge potential for clean renewables, which have the added benefit of being smaller and decentralized, and thus better suited to meeting the needs of the rural majority. The nation is well-endowed with geothermal, solar and wind power potential. Afforestation efforts and investments in alternatives to wood-fuel could greatly reduce watershed erosion. Helping rural farmers store seasonal rainfall would also decrease their vulnerability to drought.
International Rivers is monitoring dam planning in Ethiopia, working to keep international donors from investing in the worst projects on the drawing boards, and sharing knowledge about better alternatives and the legacy of Ethiopia's past dams with local and international civil society.
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CONTACT US:
Terri Hathaway
terri [at] internationalrivers [dot] org
+237 22 02 34 12
