Use the "back" button of your browser to return to the list of abstracts.
[PANEL] 0604 NEW WATER-ENERGY PARADIGMS? ETHIOPIA’S EXPANDING HYDROELECTRIC INFRASTRUCTURE: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DOMESTIC AND REGIONAL ENERGY FUTURES
Organizers:
EDEGILIGN Hailu, Universite Paris Nanterre, France
Kristin FEDELER, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Paper presenters:
WULETAWU Abera; LULSEGED Tamene; Sofie ANNYS; ENYEW Adgo; SHIMELLIS Hailu;
WONDWOSEN Michago Seide; Emanuele FANTINI; Iginio GAGLIARDONE
According to the World Energy Council (2015), there has been a general upsurge in hydropower development throughout the 2000s and Africa is expected to be a major market for this in the near future. The drivers of this global trend are coupled with technical progress in climate change mitigation, sustainability practices, e.g. in conjunction with the Water for Energy Framework (W4EF), and the description of hydropower as clean and renewable energy. Hydropower has not only the lowest carbon footprint but also the lowest running costs compared to all other energy technologies and it is particularly well-suited to meet large-scale industrial demand.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) rates Ethiopia as one of the leading countries in the effort towards the accelerated use of modern renewable energies. Ethiopia currently depends to over 90% on hydropower as a share of its total generation capacity. The exploitation of its significant undeveloped potential would feed into both domestic electrification and regional transmission through export corridors such as the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP).
However, the construction of large hydraulic infrastructure is coupled with numerous challenges which involve the environmental, cultural, socio-economic, financial, political and diplomatic realms. As Ethiopia is on the path towards becoming East Africa’s green energy hub, it is important to consider the particular features of large-scale vs. small-scale, grid-based vs. off-grid, as well as urban vs. rural vs. regional energy provision, respectively. Furthermore, the rise of new financial partnerships, particularly with China and the Middle East, as well as innovative financing models, including domestic fund mobilisation, merit attention.
This panel seeks to discuss the challenges and opportunities of Ethiopian hydro-development by inviting inter-disciplinary scholars and practitioners from the environmental, technical-scientific, legal, political and anthropological spectrum to an open and constructive exchange about issues in the domestic and regional spheres alike. It also aims to disentangle different meanings and narratives which large dams in Ethiopia evoke for different stakeholders. The outcome of the panel should be a diverse collection of insights and lessons learnt from existing experience which may translate into recommendations for strengthening approaches towards multi-stakeholder integration and enhanced sustainability.
***
ASSESSING THE POTENTAIL OF RUN-OF-RIVER (ROR) HYDROPOWER ENERGY IN UPPER BLUE NILE BASIN, ETHIOPIA [Abstract ID: 0604-04]
Renewable energy (RE) is the core in building climate resilience, a green economy and provides sizable economic development opportunities. It is important to transition to a renewable-based energy system to fuel economic growth while helping to meet the Paris agreement on climate. Studies show that power from climate-related energy sources fluctuates in time and space following their driving climatic variables. In Ethiopia, the main source of RE is mainly large hydropower plants such as Koka, Awash, Fincha, Beles, Tekeze etc., including the new construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, whereas the small run-of-river (ROR) is given no attention at all though the amount of energy produced by ROR is important in several places. Socially, large hydropower is known for adverse impacts such as human rights violations, environmental destruction, and population displacement. Small hydropower contributes to community resilience by distributing the responsibility for energy generation and is connected to low social inequality as they commonly provide off-grid services to rural and remote communities, with minimal environmental concerns. The objective of this talk is to present the potential of wild run-of-river (ROR) energy sources in the upper Blue Nile basin and discuss the pros of small hydropower over large hydropower in Ethiopia.
**
DOWNSIDES FOR DOWNSTREAM LIVING COMMUNITIES – THE CASE OF THE TANA-BELES HYDROPOWER PROJECT [Abstract ID: 0604-05]
In the context of its Climate-Resilient Green Economy strategic plan, the Ethiopian government increasingly focuses on hydropower, and has constructed several large dams in the past decade (e.g. Tekezze, Tana-Beles). Such large-scale projects have important implications for local communities, upstream/downstream of the dams. Pre-construction feasibility studies consider both upstream resettlement and downstream impacts on natural and socioeconomic environments, but is enough attention paid to downstream communities in practice? To answer this, we consider the downstream impacts of the Tana-Beles hydroelectric project. This project transfers water from Lake Tana towards the Beles river (since 2010), transforming the river from ‘seasonal’ to ‘regulated’ river, with respectively mostly low to nearly constant high discharges (± 90 m³/s at outlet), for which the river valley is underdimensioned. To obtain information on the changing downstream socio-ecological systems (upstream of Jawi bridge), interviews with local people (n = 65) and local to federal authorities (e.g. municipal and district chairmen, EEP, MoWIE…) are combined with hydro-geomorphic field observations and GIS-analyses of aerial photographs/Google Earth imagery. Results show that the project has entailed unintended consequences for downstream communities, especially in the first two years after dam commissioning. The unequal spread of the mere five bridges (located at 2, 3, 4, 31 and 53 km downstream of the outlet) and the insufficient awareness raising (through radio) has led to the loss of life of over 250 people in 11 municipalities. In this area, people cross the river to go to market, visit family, for cattle grazing… Important livestock losses (> 500 cows/goats) have occurred as well. In addition, bank erosion and river pattern adjustments have led to significant losses of arable land, which are not compensated to the farmers. Other hydropower schemes in Ethiopia are anticipated to have consequences of lesser magnitude, as they regulate discharges and do not transfer water from other basins. In that view, Tana-Beles is an atypical case. However, important lessons are the need for a sufficient amount of footbridges, better awareness raising, compensation for loss of land considering long time-frames, and a good follow-up of downstream situations - including field visits to inaccessible areas.
**
GRAND ETHIOPIAN RENAISSANCE DAM AND ETHIO-EGYPTIAN RELATIONS: THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN SECURITIZATION AND DE-SECURITIZATION [Abstract ID: 0604-03]
The central objective of this paper is to explore the myths and realities behind the securitization and de-securitization speech of Egyptian and Ethiopian government leaders concerning the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). To this end, the researcher uses the amalgamation of Bari Buza’s securitization, Mark Zeitoun’s and Jeroen Warner’s Trans-boundary water conflict analysis, and energy security frameworks. The researcher employs a qualitative research approach. Accordingly, data were collected from secondary sources like books, journal articles, legal and policy documents, unpublished materials, websites, and media outlets. Based on the data analyzed, the study shows that the securitization claim of Egypt under the pretext of ‘Nile is the life of Egypt’ and the 1929 and 1959 Nile agreement as the only international legal instrument is a myth to deceive others in 21st century. However, the data show that Egypt may use old strategies like proxy war and domestic political grievance using updated tactics to destabilize Ethiopia. On the other hand, Ethiopia’s attempt at regional cooperation among upper riparian states as a lasting solution is an unrealistic ambition in the short term. However, the existing reality is that GERD can bring energy integration in Nile riparian countries in the long term. Therefore, the study suggests that Ethiopia should first solve domestic political grievances and create internal political solidarity. In the same manner, Ethiopia is expected to reduce its external vulnerability to overcome proxy war, which may come from neighbor states. Finally, in the end, Ethiopia should establish upper stream cooperation to reverse the Nile Hydro-hegemony and bring riparian wide energy integration.
**
THE GRAND ETHIOPIAN RENAISSANCE DAM AS ENERGY DISCOURSE [Abstract ID: 0604-07]
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has changed Ethiopia’s image, even before its completion. Ethiopia is no longer a mere ‘Water Tower of the Horn of Africa’ but a ‘water user’ and ‘energy hub.’ Ethiopia is no more to be seen as a ‘water catchment space’ for the societies downstream, but a ‘water user place.’ It has also changed the idealized interpretation of ‘virgin’ and ‘unused’ land to that of ‘productive land’ that will generate abundant electricity to light the Horn of Africa and beyond. Ethiopians are now admired and applauded for taming the lion as Egyptians did in 1960 during the construction of the Aswan High Dam (AHD).The GERD portrays Ethiopia as a ‘highly-voltage lamp’ that will light up Africa. Ethiopia has steadily constructed the energy discourse and has been accepted by many as the ideal land of the ‘Energy Hub’ in Africa. Ethiopia has managed to promote this imagery in the Horn of Africa and beyond.’ In fact, Ethiopia has successfully enshrined this imagery at the continental and global level. Energy security has become a concern for all countries; in many, it tops the policy agenda. There is a rush to go green for the sake of saving our planet. Hydropower is a clean and renewable source of energy with low emissions. It is the best tool to fight climate change. According to the World Energy Council, “Hydropower is the leading renewable source for electricity generation globally, supplying 71% of all renewable electricity.” The GERD will contribute, increasing Africa’s capacity to harness its hydropower potential. Ethiopia promotes the GERD through publicity that promotes clean and renewable energy and fits well with the global climate change narrative. Ethiopia is one of the few African countries that has come up with a Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) document in 2011. As a result, Ethiopia’s image percolates in the minds and heart of the world with almost no objection to the GERD from other African countries or the West. Recently these western ambassadors, diplomats and ministers have been flooding in to see the GERD. The Ambassadors of the US, Japan, Canada, the High-level delegation of Saudi Arabia and other countries may have presaged the visit of the Egyptian water minister, and all of these official visits build a spirit of cooperation and development, auguring well for the entire Nile Basin’s future. The energy giant imagery has been accepted by many countries throughout the world. That is why Kenya, Djibouti, Sudan and South Sudan (soon) have jointly invested in infrastructural development for the transmission and importing of electricity from Ethiopia. Sudan and Djibouti are already importing electricity and asking for more.
**
THE ROLE OF MAINSTREAM AND SOCIAL MEDIA IN SHAPING DEBATES AND NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE GRAND ETHIOPIAN RENAISSANCE DAM. EVIDENCES FROM ETHIOPIA, SUDAN AND EGYPT. [Abstract ID: 0604-02]
The media are often pointed at as key actors in contributing to securitize hydropower projects and in exacerbating transboundary or local water conflicts. International institutions like NBI, IWMI or SIWI seem aware of the role of communication in shaping water conflicts and cooperation and get increasingly involved in training journalists at basin level. However the role of the media in shaping debates over contentious large scale water projects or in influencing negotiations at the regional scale remains an uncharted field of research. We aim to contributing to filling this gap by presenting the preliminary findings of a research that maps debates on Nile related issues in mainstream media and social networks in Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. Our paper will focus on the debates around the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, looking at specific events (i.e. the announcement of the building of the dam in April 2011) and situating these events within the broader political dynamics shaping national debates and international relations (i.e. the Egyptian revolution, the independence of South Sudan…). We are particularly interested in understanding how techno-scientific issues related to GERD are communicated, by whom, and what kind of knowledge is used to legitimise specific projects and claims over the use of Nile waters. The study is bases on: semi-structured interviews to key informants (journalists, policy makers, researchers) in Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt; a content analysis of selected newspapers in Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt; the analysis of a sample of statements in social media (i.e. Facebook post) in the three countries; three participatory video on the culture and practice of water science communication in Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, produced by local journalists in cooperation with local researchers (we will also try to combine the three participatory video in one documentary and if you are interested we can screen it during the conference).