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Coalition
for environment in Ethiopian Millennium |
| By Mesfin Abebe
The grand occasion of the Ethiopian Millennium would feature festivities and other activities. In the process, the whole world would watch at close quarters that Ethiopia is no more a symbol of famine but has made concerted efforts to attain impressive gains in the last fifteen years or so. Over and above that, there is the re-dedication for a fast-track all-round sustained development through the consolidation of hitherto gains and for a landmark in the realization of the enticing "Plan for Accelerated Sustainable Development to End Poverty" - PASDEP. As part of this historic event, meaningful attention would, therefore, be given to natural resources in Ethiopia as an integrated complex system. This in itself is both humbling and exciting in a country that offers irrepressible superlative features that are among the most varied in Africa. As a case in point, the country has wide and massif mountain zones that rise abruptly from the surrounding arid plains to tower over two thousand meters above them. It is also home to the second highest mountain in Africa, the Ras Dashen that rises to more than 4,500 meters above sea level. One also witnesses the breath-taking panorama where the ribbon of steep, sometimes impassable, gorges and valleys are dotted with flat-topped mountains with nearly sheer sides. Beyond this are the warm tropical forests on the south-western fringes. Here is also the lowest point on the globe that sinks to over one hundred meters below sea-level. Such 'immutable' heterogeneous physiographic features have offered mosaic of natural resources with varied flora and fauna. The diverse agro-ecological zones are also home to a host of crop varieties and breeds of livestock. These numerous ecosystems with their rich biodiversity might have provided images of romantic beauty to travelers and tourists. But, they did not remain intact due to the irretrievable loss of natural resources when ecological zones came under siege. As a matter of fact, the face of Ethiopia was altered profoundly and extensively with an ever-widening circle of destruction in the mountains, the plains, river systems and the valley floor. Behind such ecological degradation, therefore, was a great human tragedy. Though its history is shrouded in antiquity, it was tied up with the assault by generations that altered the environment for self-gratification under gargantuan food and fuel needs. It can even be boldly stated that a common factor that links virtually every destitute rural homeland or people under chronic or acute food insecurity is a deteriorated natural environment. With growing force, it is also a principal cause of poverty. This is due to economic, social, and political inadequacies of past governments. Subsequently, their negative consequences have come with lethal vengeance. Consequently, land degradation, desertification with untold species driven to extinction in the process, drying of streams, erosion, siltation, flooding that have become menacing yearly occurrences, and deadly landslides have begun to mount. In some places, a dramatic alteration in environmental quality has been noted even within a single lifetime. For instance, Lake Haromaya is dead! The polluted and contaminated Zeway has shrunk visibly with fish decimated. Abejata has shriveled and the variegated colorful bird life is under threat. Tana has encroached on residents by the shoreline from displacement volume due to high sediment load. In the absence of catchments treatment, reservoirs are silted with reduced life span. For the most part, production and productivity have decreased due to land degradation and incipient desertification. Elsewhere, fertilizer is purchased with direly needed foreign exchange for returns in a country that some have mystified as a land of bounty. That is why an ecological perspective has been considered to transform the situation in recognition of the key role that natural resources play as sustainers of life. This enormous Herculean task has also underscores that the balance of nature will not be preserved unless the root causes of poverty are eradicated. It is with this in perspective that major advances have been made with all-out political, technical and financial efforts to restore the crippled capacity of the ecosystem to meet human needs and to conquer new frontiers. This quest for rapid but sustainable growth and development is pursued under participatory arrangements. Undoubtedly much would be learnt from the accumulated indigenous knowledge and practices of people that have survived centuries of adverse environment. Indeed, it is being organically inter-woven with other environmentally-friendly systems and pursued with added vigor for market-oriented growth and development. This has called for its transformation into science and technology in recognition of the conjugal bond that exists between people and nature. Therefore, when we welcome the Ethiopian Millennium in this scientific and technical age, the negative consequences of the environment should not continue to be the soft underbelly of rural development efforts. Instead, there is need to bolster the continued government efforts for the integrity of the environment under policies and programs that offer ample opportunities and attractive possibilities outside of agriculture. Among others, this means that in tune with R&D-infused appropriate technologies and other inputs, it is possible to fine-tune the road map with surgical precision. The focus is for a coordinated thrust to ensure conservation-based production and productivity milestones suffused with ecological ethic for improved quality of life. Such a win-win situation with a flourishing natural resource and where other heritages are preserved is of profound importance to promote the correct image of the country to the world at large. Hence, beyond the colorful celebration in the Ethiopian Millennium lies the loud and clear message that sustainable socio-economic development with peace, democracy and good governance are here to stay. This may sound like a common clich逮 It is nevertheless a clich造that is true to be chanted endlessly! This means that given the sacredness of the lofty mission to reverse poverty, eliminate hunger and usher food security for genuine qualitative improvement in livelihood under a habitable environment, there has to be intensification in the fight against environmental deterioration. Therefore, the opportune moment at the onset of the Ethiopian Millennium can best be exploited to this end. For example, kaleidoscope institutions can act in concert with the people to help break the poverty-environment merry-go-round. This is also where the dynamic involvement of dedicated bilateral and multilateral partners comes in. Through their innovative approaches and financial assistance they can help mitigate risks and vulnerabilities while at the same time promote sustained development. If the many NGOs, civic societies etc. can make concerted effort in earnest, they can also help foster sound management of the environment and efficient utilization of natural resources than just advocate conservation for its own sake. National and international higher learning and research organization can definitely offer the synergy with R&D-backed technology for a new balanced system in place of the old. For instance, here is where those that have comparative latitude to undertake 'basic' research can venture in the useful development of biotechnology and genetic engineering for crops, livestock, wild life, forestry and microbial resources. Tackling the challenges of bio-safety can even offer attractive possibilities for harbinger opportunities. The end users can equally supply environmentally-friendly new ideas to meet social needs. These could be transformed into more creative development avenues to answer the problems raised by management of resources for production. Ultimately, all these could promote broad-based socio-economic growth consistent with development policy and strategy of the country. Then, at the turn of the Ethiopian Millennium, the cutting edge of an inclusive participatory and gender-sensitive coalition for impressive gains from conservation-based sound management and sustainable utilization of finite but mosaic natural resource and environmental protection could be entertained. Indeed, such a strategic alliance would have to be flexible, action-oriented, and client-driven to address the challenges posed. The platform with broad horizontal and vertical linkage can offer integrated harmonization and cost-effective coordination of initiatives by different stakeholders. Through appropriate consultation, capacity and capability can be built to monitor, measure, analyze and forecast environmental trends towards the improvement of human ecology. This is important today when Ethiopia is undergoing rapid changes under the impact of a multitude of modernizing influences. These have introduced different rates of social change in the variety of Ethiopian life. It must be noted that the new coalition for the introduction of new innovation approaches is expected to represent a departure from hitherto accepted norm of doing things, of doing business differently, if you will. The building blocks are there but these should be effectively consolidated into sturdy and reliable structures. Therefore, one may boldly suggest, without any impropriety or disparagement of the systems approach that the country pursues, that the Prime Minister assume leadership as the capstone of the government. Again, the strategic alliance spearheaded by such a leadership will also underline the multifaceted significance of the concern. Then, such an arrangement can promote the forward march to attain critical mass in the shortest possible time to raise and sustain living standards where both public and private sector investments will benefit from them with policy coherence. Again, the coalition is undeniably an integral part of the MDGs that also aims for a great leap towards a fuller and more flexible life. In this conjunction, there could be the need for the re-visit and face-lift of some regional and federal institutions and/or the restructuring of others. As a 'tribute' to the new coalition in the Ethiopian Millennium, the consolidation and coordination of some scattered initiatives with laser-sharp precision, the close scrutiny of the huge flood of unprocessed research in the information forest and the generation of new ones for their fast implementation is a must. For one, these can help avoid duplication of efforts or wastage of resources. Equally, a program of public education in the spirit of environmental cooperation can also offer many benefits. Among these, it would minimize inclination to unethically exploit natural resources for short-term ends. With increased awareness that ecological damage can be inter-related with unhealthy investment, the issue of environmental quality would not be pre-empted by it. Instead, it would make investment environmentally-friendly so that natural resource will be carefully managed in the longer-run interest. At this juncture, the many healthy investments that are not in conflict with the environment or violate the bounds of their legal operations are acknowledged with appreciation. Finally, the views expressed herein are neither big nor deep. Arguments for the variety of long-term esthetical, ecological and socio-economic multiple benefits that eco-system conservation can offer in the spirit of environmental cooperation have been around for long. What is underscored is this be pursued relentlessly in the Ethiopian Millennium. Towards this end are the vigorous and motivated communities that are out for wider participation under the sound policies and strategies of a people-centered government. Invariably, technical and financial assistance would be provided to reverse the devastation under correct social mobilization and, through proper management, exploit eco-systems in a sustainable fashion. Then, here would end any collateral damage or eminent threat. (END) |
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