308 Scarcity and Surfeitforced to reorganise customary grazing patterns, leading to greater tension
and competition as rights to resources throughout the area were challenged.
In addition, pastoralists were not able to use many areas of arable land and
plentiful pasture because of persistent insecurity and conflict. As a result, in
recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on protecting resources
from other users, including constructing fences around pastures and 'pri-
vatising' the use of wells. Traditional values of reciprocity and resource shar-
ing are threatened by growing individualism and protectionism.
Ironically, many irrigation schemes have since fallen into disrepair and thus
are either not functioning at full capacity or at all. This is common throughout
Ethiopia where technical know-how and access to mechanical parts for repairs
is low. In addition, the very nature of the water proves incapacitating: the flow
of water is highly variable, thus requiring the use of large storage facilities. Silt
also concentrates, reducing the storage capacity of dams and damaging equip-
ment. Despite government investment and support in the early 1990s, com-
mercial support for irrigation schemes has not been forthcoming and a number
of proposed schemes throughout the country were suspended or abandoned.
Where schemes are functioning, local opposition is common, and expressed by
lack of support in the way of maintenance and 'vandalism: Unless local or com-
munity issues are addressed within imgation and other development schemes,
then conflict and insecurity will persist in areas of 'development:
Conflict continues in the Awash Valley. The majority of the indigenous pop-
ulation still relies on transhumant animal husbandry. The area lacks most serv-
ices and there are continual food and water security problems. Patterns of pas-
toral migration have been disrupted, alternative strategies have been sought
(including land enclosure and sedentarisation), conflicts between neighbouring
pastoral groups have intensified and the pressure on remaining resources has
increased. Since the change of government in 1991 and the introduction of mar-
ket-based policies, the state has embarked on the sale of some of its assets,
including many irrigation schemes. This has fuelled further conflict as some
clans were favoured in the sale of land from irrigation schemes.
National level water resources are currently managed by the Ministry of
Water Resources (MoWR), which acts as a reasonably unified central water
organisation. The ministry is mandated to develop policy and undertake
implementation, operation and regulatory work of water, including irrigation.
However, the organisational set up is sorely lacking in capacity and efficien-
cy, and as a result the ministry has little power to implement a sound water
policy, particularly one that addresses the very complex issues of social equi-
ty and conflicts so intricately tied up with water usage.
The MoWR is responsible for upstream water resources control and devel-
opment activities, including the determination of conditions and methods for
optimal allocation and utilisation of water that flows across more than one
region. The ministry is expected to work closely with regional water bureaux