Scarcity and surfeit : the ecology of Africa's conflicts

Spilling Bhd over Water? The Cose of Ethiopia

Adverse environmental impacts were caused by commercial practices,

such as mineral extraction and/or discharges from various food, beverage

and textile factories. For example, in L.e Abijata the loss of water was exac-

erbaied by the discharge of effluents from a nearby soda ash extraction plant.

Fish production has reduced considerably since the breeding grounds of fish

species that spawn in the shallower pans of the lake were degraded." In

addition, there is heavy pollution of waterways due to domestic sewerage.

For example, it is suggested that the Awash tributaries from Addis Ababa are

'loaded' with sewerage .78

Finally, irrigation in the Awash Valley has worsened salinity of land.

indeed, in the 1980s thousands of hectares of irrigated land in the middle

Awash were abandoned owing to salinisation and waterlogging after only five

or fewer years of irrigation farming.79 Lack of appropriate water management

practices is widely claimed as the main reason.80

Poor water management decisions have had many negative social impacts,

particularly for local inhabitants and rural poor. Pastoralists that inhabited

lowland areas identified for large-scale irrigated agriculture were expelled

from customary key grazing areas, preventing their access to vital water

points. Prohibiting pastoralists from using these grazing areas has signifi-

cantly reduced their ability to cope with chronic water scarcity and recurring

drought. Customary mechanisms used by pastoralists to mitigate water limi-

tation and ecological stress ate delicate (see Box 5). and depend on access to

key environments, such as riverine areas that have been alienated for the

purpose of agricultural development.

Box 5: Pastoral coping mechanisms in Somali region, Ethiopias2

Coping mechonismr used by postorolists wiy ond depend on she level o;' group v.e&k

Common ways of responding to drought include:

Selling strong hecomels ond loctoting camels

Reducing meals

. Trekking long distances with livestcck in seorch d better postwe od owi!&!e vdei SU#~S
Changing the composition of livestock herds lfrom canle lo (;oats OM! sheep)
Sending some younger fornib members to reside with reIa:ii in uimn creor
Out-migration of the oble bodied in seorch of lobour lno:mo!b to hnoliol
Sloughleiing more onirnols to subsfifule mwt for groin os lost rescrt

/ Petty tmding

1 Collecfing and selling gum and fforonkincense

I Burning and exporting chorcwl to Somolio

8eg9in9