Wisdom at the Source of the Blue Nile: BDU

Spearheads Climate Resilient Green Economy

Research in Northwest Ethiopia

BDU-IUC Launch Workshop

Project Title:

Socio-economic Development, Sustainable Livelihoods

and Environmental Management in Northwest Ethiopia

18 January 2017

Bahir Dar

Characteristics of Northwest Ethiopia

• Contrasting agro-ecologies

• Lake Tana and Blue Nile River

• Great potentials for agriculture, irrigation

and tourism

• Hydropower stations/irrigation projects

• Growth corridor of the nation

• Lake Tana recently registered as

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

• Biodiversity hotspot areas

• Existence of two National Parks

• Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

• Plain topography of immense agricultural

potential

Lowland features of Jawie area: Flat grasslands with trees/shrubs, forest fire

• Guna Afro Alpine ecosystem

Mid altitude landscape

Of Debre-Mewie area

Socio-economic Development

Challenges:

• Food insecurity

• Rainfall unreliability

• Overgrazing

• Migration: regular and irregular

• Displacements of people through land grabbing and dam construction

• Poor exploitation of eco/geo-tourism opportunities

• Urban expansion and its impacts

• Poor marketing performance,

• Low saving culture

• High and rising population density

• Diminishing landholdings,

degradation & declining

productivity, steep slope

cultivation

• Youth underemployment &

unemployment

• High level of morbidity and

mortality

Livelihood Activities

• Subsistence peasant

agriculture(mixed nature)

• Slash and burn agriculture

• Rice production in the

low-lying plains

• Livestock rearing

• Urban and peri-urban

agriculture

• Fishing in Lake Tana and

problems of overfishing

• Horticultural expansion

and its implications

• Out-growers around

large-scale plantations

• The urban informal sector

• Non-farm employment …

Identified Research Issues of Socio-economic Project

• Spatiotemporal migration patterns in Northwest Ethiopia

• Impacts of urbanization on the geographies of

agriculture in Northwest Ethiopia.

• Geo/ecotourism in Northwest Ethiopia: Potentials and

Challenges.

• The socioeconomic impacts of dam construction in NWE

on crop farming, irrigation and displacement of people.

Trends, Causes and Consequences of Migration in

Northwest Ethiopia

• Rural-urban Migration

• Seasonal Labour Migration

• Issues of Resettlement (planned and spontaneous)

• Cross-border Migration and Human Trafficking

The inevitability of migration

Low level of urbanization

Spatial variations (levels of development, land degradation and

resource endowment…)

Human curiosity

Why do people migrate in the context of the project area?

( An amalgam of multiple causes: economic, political, socio-

cultural, ecological-push and pull factors_)

Increasing HH size, landlessness, resource scarcity

Peer influence

Parental indebtedness

Environmental deterioration

Lack of non/off-farm income

Dissatisfaction with village life & glamour of towns

8

Determinants of urban-ward migration

Widespread education

Improvements in transportation and communication

Early marriage & marital instability

The presence of other family members in a destination

Changing community attitudes to migration

Effects of outmigration on origin areas

Income & consumption effects

Skills and technology transfer

Improved family member’s education and medication

Effects on fertility levels

Motivational effect on potential migrants _wave ….

Effects on the receiving areas, perhaps urban centers

Effects on the migrants themselves

10

A Glimpse at Population Movement in Ethiopia

• Perhaps of antiquity- human origin

• Pronounced population movement ever since the Axumite

• Ethnic migrations of the 16th &17th c

• Political migrants from Ethiopia during the Dergue

• The incumbent government has made the right to free

movement part of the constitution

11

Cross-border Migration in Ethiopia

Economic factors Low wages, unemployment & underemployment, precarious self-

employment and unprotected informal jobs

Rural underemployment, landlessness, crop failure, limited non-farm income opportunities

Political context Political discontent

Corruption

Sociocultural Marriage dissolution

Access to information about places and opportunities elsewhere

Presence of relatives and friends in the destination

Existence of large number of local brokers with networks extending to countries of destination;

Peer influence

Strong positive perception towards migration

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• Demand-side factors across destination countries:

Labour shortage in low-paying, informal, and hazardous

sectors such as domestic work, construction,

agriculture and sex work

Law enforcing agencies in the destination countries

have not given adequate attention to trafficking as a

serious problem.,

13

Ethiopia as a Migrant Origin, Transit and

Destination Country

Ethiopia as a Migrant Origin Country

• International migration in Ethiopia accelerated after the

1974 Revolution

• Ethiopia is a major country of origin for trafficking in

persons (UNICEF listed it as one of the top10 countries

of origin for children trafficked from Africa).

• Ethiopia is one of the countries that has a large number

of migrants in North America, Europe, and the Middle

East; estimated to be about two million

• UNHCR (2015) estimated that there are 88,149 Ethiopian

refugees (mostly in Kenya)and 72,278 asylum seekers

14

Major Cross-border Migration Source Areas ILO (2016):

• North and South Wollo: Kemise, Bati, Kalu, Dessie and its

surroundings, Tehuledere (Haiq, Girana, Bistima, Bakaksa, Worebabo), Mersa, and Woldia.

• Shashemene (Western Arsi and Bale)

• Jimma (Western Ethiopia)

• Mekelle/Tigray

• Other source areas with high and growing incidence of migration and of trafficking:

From Oromia are Assela-Zuria, Adama-Zuria, Ambo, Fitche, Chancho, and Western Hararghe (Hirna, Gelemso)

From Amhara Shewa Robit, Debre Birhan, and Debre Tabor.

15

Recruitment of Cross-border Migrants

Actors in the recruitment of potential cross-border migrants

and of trafficked persons:

Brokers (local, for transportation, at destination)

Returnees and visitors from destination countries,

Relatives and friends,

Licensed or unlicensed agencies.

Destination-point traffickers(residents of the destination

countries; Ethiopian migrants who turned trafficker)

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The Migrant Journey & Destinations

1. Eastern irregular route in the desert and sea route from

Afar, Dire Dawa, Jijiga, through Djibouti or Somalia, to

Yemen and onwards.

2. Southern irregular route

Overland route from Moyale through Kenya towards RSA.

3. Northern/western irregular route

Overland route from Metema & Gambella or Asosa

through Sudan and Egypt towards Libya and to Europe

crossing the Mediterranean Sea

About 50-100 Ethiopian migrants cross into Sudan every

day and may reside in transit countries for longer periods

before travelling to Europe.

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Illegal migrants across the Sahara Desert

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Smuggling of migrants: A risky journey on a ramshackle and overcrowded boat across the Mediterranean

19

Ethiopia as a Migration Destination Country

• Ethiopia hosts the largest number of refugees in Africa as

the government maintains open borders for refugees.

• According to UNHCR (March 2016) the refugee and

asylum seeker population in Ethiopia was 735,165 with

South Sudanese and Somalis being the majority

• The government has allocated land for the 24 camps

around Assosa, Dollo Ado, Gambella, Jijiga, Semera and

Shire regions

• Ethiopians also return to their country

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Attributes of Cross-border Migrants/Trafficked persons

• Women and children that are less powerful and more

vulnerable to be forced or deceived by traffickers.(Eastern

route)

• Migrants tended to be better educated though less educated

are also significant

• Migrants tend to be young, mostly between 18 & 25

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Consequences of Cross-border Migration

Some positive impacts: (saving, financial transfers &

investment)

• Illegal migration impacts on migrants( tiresome, difficult &

dangerous travel; abduction, physical and sexual assault;

labour abuse, unlawful activities like drug and alcohol

trafficking).

• Illegal migration impacts on the victim’s family- financial

burden because of selling of assets & a migrant returning

with medical condition; disintegration of family and

marriage, increased vulnerability of young children left

behind by their mothers.

• The national level consequences- loss of productive

workforce,

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Challenges in Addressing Cross-border Migration

• Little data and knowledge about in-and outward migration

• Research on the matter is limited

• Limited access to employment opportunities

• Lack of human and financial resources;

• Little coordination between the central and the regional

level governments

• Limited regional and bilateral co-operation in the area of

migration

• Preference to “quicker”, informal migration channels.

• The lengthy borderline, difficult topography & climate

make border control difficult.

• Prosecution of trafficking crimes is still low.

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Understand impacts of urbanization on the geographies of agriculture in Northwest Ethiopia

Rural-urban Linkages

1. Economic linkages (agri- products, construction material,

energy source, movement of capita …investment, credit,

remittances, manufactured goods, diffusion of innovations)

2. Spatial/physical Linkages

(Infrastructure…roads, water and sanitation, communication,

electricity)

3. Environmental linkage

(Urban wastes are dumped in rural areas polluting the landscape,

water and air; use of agri - chemicals pollute water that could be

used by urban residents)

4. Urban Agriculture

Urban expansion and the farming community nearby

Some causes of urban expansion

• Rise in Population Growth

• Lower Land Rates and low housing cost in suburbs,

• Lack of Urban Planning

• Improved Infrastructure and possibility of commuting

Effects of Urban Sprawl

Positive and negative impacts

• Improvement in the infrastructure and economic opportunity in

both formal and informal sectors,

Increased Traffic: more use of cars than walking to work and

shopping thereby more pollution and more accidents,

Environmental Issues: land pollution, destruction of

vegetation and wildlife, alters the climate, modifies hydrologic

and biogeochemical cycles, and fragments habitats.

Loss of highly productive farmland, reduction of land size

and threatening the livelihood of the farmers.

Impact on Social Lives: When people move further out, they

don’t have neighbors that live as close,

Health effects_ obstacles to spontaneous exercise

opportunities through walking

Tourism Potentials and Roles in Ethiopia(NW)

• A country of enormous geographic diversity

• The origin of mankind and civilization, long history and

independence

• The start of the Nile River,

• Political capital of Africa and seat of AU

• Burgeoning economic growth & infrastructural development

Northwest Ethiopia

• Sharp precipices and jagged mountain peaks,

• Spectacular river gorges and valleys,

• Impressive waterfalls

• Blue Nile River and its source, Lake Tana,

• Home of many endemic fauna and flora (Gelada baboon,

the Simien fox and the Walia ibex)

• Historic sites including Gondar, and Lalibela and ancient

monasteries and many more.

• Tourism promotes sustainable development as it is source

of foreign currency earnings

• Ethiopia is aggressively working to boost the tourism

industry.

• Ethiopia established the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to

manage the industry; Regional bureaus are also there

• The sustainable tourism approach encourages the

participation of the local community in the tourist

destinations in the areas of controlling, development,

collective management and ownership;

Ecotourism

• Promoted as economic diversification and an appropriate

means for conservation of natural resources for

destinations.

• Opportunities for community based ecotourism

development:

Key historical and cultural attractions,

Geological features with diversity of wildlife,

Potential to develop cross border tourism,

Potential benefits for employment

Global increasing demand for ecotourism.

• Challenges for community based ecotourism

development:

Habitat depletion and degradation of natural resources,

Diseases like malaria,

Lack of basic infrastructural development ( road, electricity,

telecoms, accommodation facilities),

Limited stakeholders’ collaboration, and promotion.

Global warming and desert expansion,

The socioeconomic impacts of dam construction

• Dam construction is likely to have environmental, human

and economic impacts for countries and regions

Some benefits of dam construction include:

• Clean, cheap and reliable form of energy.

• Dams prevent floods.

• Dams store water for irrigation during dry months. Arid

areas are used for farming .

• Fish farming is possible from the reservoirs

• They could serve as recreational areas

Negative Impacts of Dam construction

• Flooding of land, destroying habitats

• Displacement of people causing change in life style

• Dams restrict sediments responsible for the fertile lands

downstream

• Breeding grounds for mosquitoes, snails and flies

causing the spread of disease.

• Dams cost more and take longer to build than projected.

• Hydro-dependent countries may suffer drought-induced

blackouts and energy rationing.

Thank You!