The imperative need for watershed management in the Eastern Nile Basin
2005
Ayenew Tessera
This study attempts to assess environmental problems in the Eastern Nile basin. Particularly, the study attempts to examine land degradation in the upper catchments of Tekeze/Atbara, Abbay/Blue Nile, and Baro-Akobo river basins as well as the extent of silt accumulation and water supply problems in the downstream countries. Secondary and primary data were used to conduct this study. The results revealed that the upper catchments of Tekeze/Atbara, Abbay/Blue Nile and Baro-Akobo river basins (particularity the 1st two) are nearly devoid of forest or vegetation cover, experiencing severe soil erosion, and thus severely degraded. Deforestation and its resultant soil erosion in these areas is going on unabated, and has resulted in loss of agricultural production, biodiversity, silt accumulation in the downstream countries and drought intensification in the Eastern Nile Basin. Resource degradation in the sub-basin coupled with rapidly growing population has resulted in apparent resource (water) scarcity. The results also revealed that environmental problems have become the common challenge facing the eastern Nile Basin states. Instead of combating this common challenge, the riparian countries in the sub-basin have distanced themselves by mutually exclusive doctrines and self-serving and hegemonistic tendencies. Since the impacts of river basins' environmental degradation are border-crossing, cooperative management of the watersheds by the co-basin states is recommended to solve the problem. It is believed that genuine cooperation requires accommodation and compromise of each other's interests rather than competition and conflict.
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