The land lease issue and the new hydropower dam construction, and the pros and cons opinion from Diaspora communities

W. Yilma

April 29, 2011

Many pros and cons opinions are posted and will continue to be posted in many websites regarding the ongoing land lease program and the construction of the new hydropower dam. Other than totally condemning both development programs due to differences in political ideology, I personally do not read much academic reasons from those who are opposing both programs. That is the saddest part, in which most of our “politicians” follows for the last 40 years. Especially at this time here in Diaspora everything is becoming politicized. As a citizen, it worries me the directions of our collective political engagements. According to those Diaspora oppositions who are advocating hate politics, any development plan designed by the current Ethiopian government should be condemned and should not get any support from the public, until they miraculously seize power. This notion is wrong and need to be condemned. Even some sections of the opposition do not care if Ethiopia faces an external threat due to the policy our country is now pursuing regarding the ownership and the right to utilize our trans boundaries Rivers, in this case Abay River. I do think the majority of Ethiopians care much about the benefits they get from any development programs designed and executed by any government in power. Under which government the development programs should be executed is a secondary. Other than political differences, any economic plan accomplished by King Haile selasse helped the colonel Mengistu regime, and similarly what Col. Mengestu regime has accomplished was a starting point for the current EPRDF government. I am sure what the current government has accomplished and will accomplish in the future will be a starting point for the coming Ethiopian government. Economic life should continue no matter what who is in power. Government comes and goes when the time comes. What we should understand here is that because of class nature, government not always satisfying the demands of the whole societies. There is always a struggle of power between different functions. This struggle should be peaceful to continue the country’s economic activities. If we wait until we get a government whom we all agree with its socio economic and political philosophies, I am afraid our journey will be one step forward and three steps backward. We need to examine ourselves to make our future bright.

Any development plans especially large scale agriculture and construction of dams for hydropower, no matter how cautiously and professionally they prepared, they could have an impact to the environment and to the societies in question. The words sustainability and environmental friendly terminologies are more academic terms not always necessarily reflecting the reality on the ground. Especially when we think to develop large scale agricultural development programs, the question should be focused on to how we can minimize the collateral damage to the environment as a whole and to the societies at large. If it is unavoidable to cause damage to acceptable level, our focus should be how we can correct the damage to keep the statuesque of the natural habitats without causing a major shift to the environment.

No one is denying that our natural forest and savannas which are considered as a factory of many animals and plant species deserves protection. Uncontrolled burning or indiscriminate cutting of trees to increase farm land should be condemned and needs to be protected by law. On the other side, how could we increase our food crop production if we choose “Do Nothing approaches?”? There must be a sharing of responsibilities both from the Ministry of Agriculture and The Ethiopian Environmental protection Agencies to make sure that the land lease policy should not be an excuse to cause damage to our precious natural resources. Those who took land for development should abide by law to develop forestry, and protect soil erosion. We as a citizen should actively involve sharing our experience and giving advice to policy makers to correct things before they go wrong. Leave alone an intervention in large scale, a minor intervention in any form to naturally preserved resources could have a major effect to the natural habitats. As far as I know, the major cause for land and forest degradation in Ethiopia is not because of increasing commercial land for agricultural development, but because of illegal activities by individuals to sell wood charcoal, and uncontrolled burning of land by local people for various reasons. We should not be always pessimist and adopt a negative thought to every development plan projected by the current government. Human beings can do anything, if there is willingness from both sides and with close follow up mechanism by the respective governmental agencies. I do believe that the ongoing large scale agricultural practices will have little effects to the natural habitats and will improve the socio economic status of the areas where it implemented.

What is more important to raise here is that both the foreign and local investors’ main interest is maximizing their profit to a higher level. The deforestation in any forms, especially through uncontrolled burning or cutting activities to increase agricultural farm land needs to be governed by strict laws. My fear is to what extents the foreign investors are going to abide by the local law? Experience from other third world countries has showed that foreign investors respect more the International investment agreements and contracts than the local law. This is due to various factors, among which economic and political dominance of the country from where the investors came from are among few. These need more attention and follow up from the various government agencies. We need to make sure that the soil is not exposed for erosions due to lack of proper agricultural practices and uncontrolled burning. The wild life populations are also a source of income if we mange in balancing the agricultural land and game reserved area.

Ethiopia needs large scale agricultural practices to alleviate its persistent food shortages. Large scale agricultural practices changes the life of the indigenous people, especially in the low land areas where availability of land for agriculture is ample. To my understanding, pastoralism is not a culture; it is the way of life people in this area adopted through time to face the challenge nature has brought to them. One of the main causes of movement in the pastoralist area is to search water and pasture for their livestock. If these are available in one place, there is no reason for the pastoralist to move from place to place. The focus here should be to make sure that these essential resources are available throughout the year in sustainable and affordable manner. Slowly, but surely the indigenous people will understand that there is a new way of life other than the life they pursue for a century without improving their standard of living.

Based on my personal conservative estimations, the amount of crop by products producing from a given land area with modern agricultural practices is by far greater than the food the animals could get from the naturally grown pastures. In short although there is a variation on the type of crops, two hectares of land in natural condition could not carry more than 3 tropical livestock unites (roughly 3 cattle only if the rain fall is good). On the contrary by product collected from two acres of land could feed more than 5 to 6 cattle for similar time frame. The productivity of the animals fed with agricultural by product is by far greater than the animal fed with natural pasture. Other than these advantages, it will be easier for the people to have access to many governmental and none governmental services (schools, hospitals and clinics for human and clinics for their livestock, security, availability of potable water etc…).

The other important thing which I think will be a challenge is the follow up of the ongoing large scale conventional agricultural practices. Intensive application of fertilizer, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fungicide will certainly have an impacts to the environment, to the societies, soil, insects, bees, birds, vegetation, water, fish etc.. It is a very complex chain of interactions and issues, which needs a very academic knowledge’s to deal with each specific problem. The repeated and unwise applications of these chemicals not only affect the food chain, but also the biodiversity of the natural environments. Evacuating people from their original place and settling them in new area is a minor component compared with the development of large scale agricultural program as well as a building of a large hydropower dams and managing them to gain long term services from them without causing a significant influence to the environments. Certainly, both programs could have an impact to the surrounding area and they could be a cause to shift the local biodiversity. The intensive and unwise application of agricultural chemicals could have an environmental, social as well as livestock health issues in the long term. Therefore the importance of establishing a strong and an independent committee to regulate, and inspect the importation, application and storage of these chemicals is should be a subject of discussion by the respective bodies. These agricultural inputs have hazards substances and they need to be regulated. Their importation and applications will increase as the size and scopes of commercial agricultural land become increasing. Ethiopia has expertise to deal with this situation. They have to be equipped with clear guide line and law to effectively regulate, inspect and correct problems when they happen.

Although it is rare, disagreements between the investors and the local people could be emerging at one point in time when a gradual effect of biodiversity (together with the negative propaganda from inside and outside political oppositions) directly or indirectly start affecting the lively hood of the local people, especially those who harvest honey from the forest and fish from the water bodies. The production will be dramatically decreased due to the decreasing of bee’s population, or low fishing due to low water level or algae growth in ponds or rivers from long term application of chemical to the agricultural fields. To some extent the local livestock population could also be affected if something went wrong with storage or mishandling of these agricultural chemicals. The food chain issues and the impacts of these chemicals to wild fauna and flora also need a close follows up. Some chemicals have residual effects, and people could be exposed either from meat, milk or cereal crops.

Although the socio economic advantages of the construction of the dame are by far greater than its disadvantages, there are also some concerns that need to be addressed. The hydropower dam will occupied a very large water area, and as a result of this there will be a shift from one ecosystem to another. It means it will change the surrounding fauna and flora significantly (fishery development, water transportation, tourism, irrigation). The possibility of human as well as livestock disease incidence problems (in some cases new emerging diseases outbreak could be possible) should also be taken into consideration. I am sure the government agencies involved in this project preparation already predicted what the hydropower dam will bring to the surrounding area and they could have a contingency plan to deal with the outcomes. We need to learn lesson from the Koka dam. All catchment areas and the large scale commercial agricultural practices near and around the areas need to be examined and necessary measures need to be taken to minimize the sedimentation problems.

All this needs a brain storm expertise advice. Other than criticizing blindly, as citizens we have an obligation to put our inputs to make things better and show support when necessary. Ethiopia does not have a shortage of “politicians” but have artificially, a shortage of profesionals. Making criticism to something prepared by someone is the easiest thing anyone can do. The most difficult and challenging one are making a positive criticism and show the mistakes for correction. It is the right of each individual to follow individual or collective political views. However, when it needs it is our responsibility to stand up and give our professional expertise advises to the government when needed.

Education should not be limited to academic proficiency. It should be an instrument to solve political, social as well as economic problems our country is facing. Positive criticism is the only way we can move forward. No one will benefit from political chaotic situation. We demand change of behavior and attitudes from oppositions. The government has also a responsibility to show a good will by creating a conducive political atmosphere both at home and abroad. The recent move should be appreciated and should continue in the future. Change of government with the old system does not bring new change to Ethiopia. It will be a change of power from one hand to another without changing of a substance. We rise together, we failed together. The fate of our future is in our hand.

Long live Ethiopia