Scarcity and surfeit : the ecology of Africa's conflicts

Scarcity and Surfeit

production. For example, a new water-drilling machine provided by the gov-

ernment for the Afar was forcibly taken by the local army to drill watering

points near to the Ethiopian border. During this time the machine was broken

and no attempts were made to mend or replace it."'

In many areas of the basin far from the river, the provision of water

remains a great problem. Access to clean water is especially low. During

drought, water must be imported from outside at considerable expense. For

example in Buxe, in 1996, water was being sold at a cost of Ethiopian Birr

800 (approximately US$ 120) per tanker.l18

The main water supplies are hand-dug wells, deep/shallow drilled wells,

springs, ponds and rivers. In rural areas, people may travel 15 to 20 kilome-

tres to collect water for human and livestock consumption. Before 1993,

along the Assab-Bati road and in the Tendaho Farm Development, 751 shal-

low and deep wells were drilled. Of these wells, 34 were unproductive and

salty, and thus were not used, six wells did not have pumps installed, and 35

of the remaining ones had different pumps installed in them. When the

Tendaho Farm stopped functioning and the military camps in the area were

removed, 29 wells fell into disrepair. In general, by 1993, most of the water

supply systems that existed prior to 1985 were not functioning due to lack of

maintenance. After the formation of the regional administration, the water

development bureau, with assistance from neighbouring regional adminis-

trations, ESRDF (Ethiopian Social Rehabilitation and Development Fund),

non-governmental organisations, UN agencies, and the European Economic

Commission built and rehabilitated 125 water systems (see Table 7). Today,

the water supply coverage for the entire region is only 16.45%, and only

14.33% in outlying rural areas.'19

Table 7: Water supply systems in the Afar

Number of Ru
I Zones I towns I vilies I

ral I

Sources of wafer SIJDD~V I

I I - I

Deep

wells

Hand-dug

wells Rivers Springs Total