Category "News"

የአካባቢ የደንና የአየር ንብረት ለውጥ ኮሚሽን የድምጽ ብክለት ቁጥጥርን በተመለከተው አዲስ ረቂቅ ደንብ አዘጋጅቶ ከባለድርሻ አካላት ጋር ተወያየ።ደንቡ የመጀመሪያ ረቂቅ ሲሆን በ1995 ዓ.ም የወጣውን የብክለት ቁጥጥር አዋጅ 300/1995 አንቀጽ 20 መሰረት አድርጎ የተዘጋጀ ነው።

ረቂቁ ከዚህ በፊት ከወጣው ጥቅል የብክለት አዋጅ በተጨማሪ የድምጽ ብክለትን ነጥሎ የሚያይ መሆኑን በኮሚሽኑ የአካባቢ ብክለት ሁኔታ ክትትልና ቁጥጥር ዳይሬክተር ወይዘሮ ሙሉብርሃን ታሪኩ ገልጸዋል።ረቂቅ ደንቡን በተለያዩ ውይይቶች በማዳበር በተያዘው በጀት አመት መጨረሻ የሚኒስትሮች ምክርቤት ካጸደቀው በኋላ ተፈጻሚ መሆን ይጀምራልም ብለዋል።

የድምጽ ብክለት ቀጠናዎችን የመኖሪያ ፣የንግድ ፣የኢንዱስትሪና ቅይጥ በሚል ዘርፍ በመለየት ለእያንዳንዱ የየራሱ መስፈርት ተቀምጦለት የሚጠቀሙት የድምጽ መጠን እንደየቀጠናቸው የሚወሰን ይሆናል።በኮሚሽኑ የህግ ተከባሪነት ክትትልና ቁጥጥር ጄኔራል ዳይሬክተር አቶ መሃሪ ወንድማገኝ የቀደመው አዋጅ ጠቅላላ ብክለትን ለመቆጣጠር የወጣ ቢሆንም ድምጽን  ብክለት ነው ብሎ ያለመቀበል ሰፊ ክፍተት እንደነበረውም ጠቁመዋል።

የድምጽ ብክለትን ለመቆጣጠር በሚደረገው ሂደትም ሰፊ ችግር መኖሩን ገልጸዋል።የንግድ ቢሮዎች ፈቃድ ሲሰጡም ተጽእኖውን ግምገመው ስለማያደርጉ ከባለድርሻ አካላት ጋር ያለው ቅንጅታዊ አሰራር የላላ መሆኑን ጠቅሰዋል።አዲሱ ረቂቅ ደንብ ተፈጻሚ ሲሆን ክፍተቱን ይሞላል ተብሎ መታሰቡን ጠቅሰው ንግድ ቢሮዎች ፈቃድ ከመስጠታቸው በፊት አካባቢውን በአካል መመልከት እንዳለባቸውም አሳስበዋል።

በተጨማሪም ፈቃድ ሳያወጡ የሚሰሩ አካላት ላይ ጥብቅ ቁጥጥር ማድረግ እንደሚገባ ተናግረዋል።በመጨረሻም ደንቡ ተግባራዊ ሲሆን ሃይማኖታዊና ብሄራዊ ክብረ በአላት በሚካሄዱበት ጊዜ ያለን የድምጽ ብክለት እንደማያካትት ተገልጿል።

ኢዜአ

A new report from UN Environment and WRI found that at least 127 countries (of 192 reviewed) have adopted some form of legislation to regulate plastic bags as of July 2018. These policies range from outright bans to progressive phase-outs to laws that incentivize the use of reusable bags. Yet despite increasing regulations, plastic pollution remains a massive problem.Here are a few reasons why plastic bag regulations are not yet effective in slowing down ocean pollution:1.Most countries fail to regulate plastic through its lifecycle.2.Countries favor partial bans over full bans.3.Virtually no countries restrict plastic bag manufacturing/production.4.Exemptions are numerous.5.Incentives are not offered for alternatives to single use plastic bags.

Source-https://www.wri.org/blog/2019/03/127-countries-now-regulate-plastic-bags-why-arent-we-seeing-less-pollution?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTURobFpUY3pOREptWXpkaiIsInQiOiJ0UTllU251djB6YU9JUzBsVUpWelVPelpNRXJBXC9oaXRqZ1cyZm9cL0ZTeDBkMUxmdllNcVhiNm9KbFhQblo2ZWo4MlFzdmd3ZVwvNzV

A study focusing on the Integration of Variable Renewable into the Ethiopia electrical grid considering the development scenario until 2030 has been rolled out.
Entitled: “Integration of Variable Energy on the National Electric System,” the study was crafted and developed in close coordination with the Ethiopia Electric Power and RES4 Africa in and Enel Foundation as well as technical support from Italian firm CESI.
The aim of the study is to estimate the optimal amount of variable renewable energy resources that can be integrated into the Ethiopian electric power system between 2025 and 2030 by identifying possible criticalities and suggesting remedial measures concerning both the operation system generation and operation.
“The study will help to attract investments and enable the full capacity of exploiting the socio-economic benefits of renewables in Ethiopia,” Roberto Vigotti secretary general of RES4 Africa said.
The current energy generation is highly reliant on hydropower with 3800 MW equal to 89 percent of total generation capacity and the electrification rate of 85 percent in urban areas. This is high but it drops dramatically to 10 percent in rural areas, so only 25 percent of Ethiopian citizens enjoy access to energy. The population and GDP growth will result in an increased demand for electricity in the coming years. the government is turning its attention to other renewable energy sources to diversify the energy mix.
According to the study, the country should exploit renewable energy sources efficiently to cope up with the strong demand growth that exceeds 12 percent per year.
A focus on attaining a more balanced energy mix between hydro resources, solar, wind and geothermal sources, diversifying the mix of energy resources will improve the security of supply and will help mitigate the effect of climate change, the study states. Bio mass resources from wood residues and sugar waste can also contribute to energy diversification.
Wind power has a capacity of 324MW equal to 8 percent of total generation capacity while biomass, geothermal and liquid fossil fuels provide only 2 percent of total generation.
In the future, wind and solar power capacities can be installed in Ethiopia. Up to 2400 MW from wind and 3500MW solar is expected in 2025 and 3600MW from wind and 5300MW from solar by the year 2030.
The overall non hydropower renewable capacity is estimated to grow from 9 percent recorded in 2017 up to 34 percent in 2025 and 43 percent in 2030.
As Ethiopia has the strategy of becoming a world class exporter of large amounts of clean and cheap renewable energy, an additional demand is estimated in the mid and long term due to power export.
In 2025, 68 percent of the energy will be produced by hydropower plants, 13 percent by solar and 12 percent by wind power plants.
Concerning the interconnections with the neighboring countries, the Ethiopian electric power system is currently interconnected with Sudan and Djibouti for a total of 300 MW net transfer capacity. However, additional interconnection with Kenya 2000MW is in the advanced stage of construction and a new Ethiopia Sudan interconnection is about to start at 3000MW.
The main importing country would be Sudan equal to 67 percent in 2025 and 93 percent in 2030.
Export to neighboring countries in the presence of additional VRES capacity could lead to net benefits up to1.6 billion in 2025 increasing to 2.4 billion USD in 2030.
This year’s African Economic Outlook 2019 from the African Development Bank (AfDB) says Ethiopia will generate USD one billion by 2020 from energy exports.
“Beside generating and diversifying energy sectors, the government should develop the legal framework for private sector involvement,” Vigotti added.

Capital

የከተማ አስተዳደሩ ካቢኔ ባደረገው ስብሰባ ለወጣቶች ተዘዋዋሪ የብድር ፈንድ ለመመደብ የቀረበ ረቂቅ ሰነድ ላይ ተወያይቶ አፅድቋል፡፡

The deadliest garbage dumpsite,Koshe landfill which has killed 200 residents already, has been rehabilitated in order to avoid imminent disaster and the possibilities of toxic gas explosions such as methane.
The Addis Ababa city landfill, a.k.a. Kosheh as served for 50 years experiencing the worst garbage mountain avalanche in 2017 killing so many residents in and around the landfill. Since then under rehabilitation with foreign financial and technical supports, the first phase of the Koshe rehabilitation project has reached its final stages.
City officials, diplomats, waste management experts and the likes have toured the landfill and observed ongoing activities, and how the Japanese well-known Fukuoka-Method (Semi-aerobic landfill structure) for solid waste management has been implemented at the site. The Fukuoka-Method as it is widely known and implemented in countries in Asia and Latin America is a sanitary landfill system for solid waste management.

Toshikazu Mito, the United Nations Human Settlement Program (UN-Habitat) technical advisor, told The Reporter that the project first to sorts out and decomposes waste accumulated at the site. However, since the nature of the garbage in Addis Ababa and the rest of Ethiopia is basically made up of “organic” content that means that it comes with a high volume of moisture; the Fukuoka-Method helps to ventilate and circulate the flow of oxygen into the inner body of the landfill where the absence of air likely causes emissions of toxic and lethal gases.
That process involves installation of vertically perforated gas venting pipes at the bottom of the landfill. In addition to that, leachate or waste water that drains from the dumpsite is controlled with another treatment system implemented in with the installations of a 190 meter underground pipe.

That process eases bad odors and releases toxic fluids from the landfill. A leach ate pond that could hold 180 cubic meters of waste water has been built within the landfill. So far, 52 sets of gas venting pipes have been fitted together with gibbon installations and leachate drainage system.
Apart from that, terracing and reducing the steep slopes of the garbage hill was another measure considered to avert critical slides.

In the first phase of the project, so far, has seen expend USD two million financing from Japan. The solid waste management project has been implemented in a closure of two hectare plot out of the 30 hectare area of the landfill.
Solomon Kidane (PhD), deputy mayor of Addis Ababa City Administration, said that 60 percent of the waste generated from the city can be recycled. However, lack of proper waste management and garbage collection methods have exacerbated the already overcapacity dumpsite by the growing demographic push. The 2017 incident brought together the likes of UN-Habitat to provide both technical and advisory assistances to the government on how it should go about with introducing standardized waste management systems in place.
The completion of phase I of the project required an additional USD 400,000 financing from the government of Japan and the second phase to enter into operations such as capacity building and safety related procedures that will be implemented at the dumpsite.

During the dumpsite visit, a commemorative ceremony for the deceased was planned to be observed until, for reasons which are unclear,Eshetu Lemma, manager of the Addis Ababa City Administration Solid Waste Management Agency, abruptly covered the unveiling of the headstones creating a sore environment among the attendees present at the event.

The Reporter

Urbanization in Ethiopia brings opportunity for the communities if it is managed properly, scholars said.Civil Service University Urban Development and Engineering College Dean, Daniel Lirebo told ENA that the number of urban centers with 2,000-20,000 population in Ethiopia is increasing.

These can become centers of science, innovation and create employment opportunities, if managed properly, he added. “Unfortunately, most cities and towns in our country are not properly managed since they are not led by urban plan. Taking Addis Ababa as an example, it is becoming difficult to solve urban related problems in the city,” the dean noted.

Old cities of Ethiopia like Addis Ababa were established without master plan. They were villages that evolved into towns and later on to big cities, Daniel stated.The renovation of old cities is also creating economic and social hurdles among the communities.The dean appreciated the initiation of the present government in commissioning master plans for newly emerging towns. He suggested that the government provides basic services for consumption, planned settlement and develop infrastructures for towns and cities.

Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development Department Chairperson, Berhanu Woldetensae said better employment, education and health as well as infrastructural expansions come with urbanization, despite challenges. “As urbanization is inevitable development that attracts more labor force from the countryside due to expansion of industrial parks and other developments,” he noted.

According to Berhanu, the rural-urban and urban-urban migration in the country has created uneven urban population distribution in the cities which resulted in disparity between urban population growth and expansion of basic facilities and services for the population.

He pointed out that horizontal expansion of urbanization of the country has also impacted on reducing agricultural productivity and diminish the green areas of the country by annexing large amount of fertile agricultural lands into cities and towns.Vertical urban expansion, strong urban planning management, promoting structured urban planning, enhancing human resource and financial capital of cities and towns, involving the public in the process of urban planning and design are fundamental for integrated urban development in the country, the chairperson suggested.

Urban Development and Housing Ministry Public Relations and Communication Head, Ethiopia Bedecha said the government has already launched integrated and planned urban development programs through enhancing public awareness and capacity building of relevant bodies.Stating the presence of over 2000 urban centers in the country, he added that most of them lack urban planning and sufficient infrastructure and facilities. He noted that the ministry is working on resolving basic challenges in the urban centers of the country.

“The ministry is introducing urban planning to cities and towns, which were established without plans. Each regional urban planning institute in states is organized to run urban plans to be effective in cities and towns of the country,” the head stated.

It is also working on promoting green and clean urban development by creating beautiful and suitable cities with financial and material support of international financial organizations like World Bank and United Nations Development Program (UNDP), he added.

More than 20 percent of the population in Ethiopia lives in urban centers.

ENA

Bete Giorgis, one of the 11 monolithic rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, has go green as part of Ireland’s Green Global Project.The project that aimed at promoting the church across the globe was officially launched on March 17/2019. Deputy Head of Mission at the Irish Embassy Patrick McManus said “it is a great honor for me to be here at the world’s famous site of Bete Giorgis here in Lalibela.”
Prime Minister Leo Eric Varadkar and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had signed MoU on cultural exchange back in January, he said, adding that “my government is also determined to work more closely with the government of Ethiopia in the coming years.”
“We would actually green Bete Giorgis as part of the Green Global Project which Ireland carry’s around the world,” the Deputy Head added.Furthermore, McManus pointed out “we will take the photos and go around the world. It will be an extra demonstration of a cultural and heritage partnership between our two countries.”According to him, the relationship between the two countries, which started 25 years ago, was broad and deep in the areas of education, development, and economic cooperation.

It is recalled that the project similarly promoted the obelisks of Axum, the statue of the Lion of Judah near the National Theater, and Ethiopian Airlines with the Green Light Technology to the entire world.Cultural Advisor at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Gebriel Asfaw said greening the rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela is aimed at attracting more tourists.
He appreciated Irish support to promote the world heritage site of Lalibel to the world with the green light.The 11 rock-hewn church of Lalibela is one of the heritages of Ethiopia that inscribed by UNESCO.

ENA

The World Bank says it will spend $22.5bn over five years from 2021 to help Africa tackle the dangers posed by climate change.

Bank interim president Kristalina Georgieva told BBC Africa TV’s Money Daily programme that Africa remains vulnerable to the effects of climate change through prolonged drought, floods and destructive storms.

“Unless we make Africa more resilient, we will see by 2030, 100 million people more falling into poverty rather than being pulled out of poverty,” she said.

Ms Georgieva said the World Bank had also stepped up its efforts to mobilize investments in renewable energy such as solar, which contributes just 1.5% of the continent’s electricity needs.

The World Bank’s commitment comes ahead of the One Planet Summit that opens in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, today.

It is co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta and brings governments, private sector and civil society groups together to address environmental challenges.

Africa contributes only 4% to global CO2 emissions but bears some of the most severe consequences of global warming, according to BBC.

The Addis Ababa City Roads Authority plans to complete 25 roads project and start 10 new ones this fiscal year.
The Authority has spent over three billion birr to build and maintain the city road network and facilities.
“As part of the government’s existing trend, the Authority is paying attention to completing the existing road projects on time,” Moges Tibebu the authority director general said.
Many road projects were delayed because the contractors were not qualified, problems with consultants, design defaults and court cases connected to demarcation.
The Authority is under discussion with the Supreme Court to set up speedy trial to alleviate the court cases in connection to demarcation which is the fundamental cause for the delay of most roads construction, the director adds.
The Authority spends the money for the construction and maintenance of over 400km road networks in various part of the city including traffic and street lights, pedestrian roads.
Asphalt road construction accounts for14.3 km. There are 36.9 km of gravel roads. There are 190km of cobble stone road projects, the highest share. There be 7.3 km of sidewalks built so to accommodate increasing foot traffic. The Authorities long term game plan is to modernize and upgrade the road system.
According to Moges Tibebu, the Authority’s Director General, the projects are part of the city’s three year Road Master Plan which was adopted in 2017. Hopes are this will make traffic more efficient.
Currently city road coverage is less than 20 percent which is below international standards.
“The Authority plans to finalize five road projects before the end of this fiscal year,” Moges added.

Capital