Collective Harvest 4 -- Environmental Crisis

Ethiopia is one of two African countries that has never been colonized. While it was temporarily occupied by the Italians, the Battle of Adwa named Ethiopians the victors of that Ethiopian- Italian conflict, the first African country to win against European imperialism. Despite this, Ethiopia is still affected by a legacy of colonialism, creating strained relations with neighboring countries and weak infrastructure within the country.

Often when people think of Ethiopia, they do not think of the country I know, with developed urban cities that have electricity, running water, fancy hotels, and more. Instead they think of the desert and little huts, completely erasing what Ethiopia truly is. This is where we can see the effects of colonialism, with the “victors” controlling the way that the rest of the world is perceived, despite that vision of Ethiopia being false.

In terms of environmental crisis, one major issue that Ethiopia and surrounding countries have been facing are arguments regarding a dam on the Nile River. The Nile begins in Ethiopia. Despite this, other countries are the name ones who flourish with it, with places like Egypt benefitting the most. As a result of this, Ethiopia wants to place a dam on the river, allowing the country to use hydroelectric power to develop and support its citizens. This has been a major source of contestation amongst other countries. These countries worry that Ethiopia’s dam will prevent them from using the resources of the Nile the same way they had in the past, hindering their development at the benefit of Ethiopia. Hopefully a compromise can be reached that allows everyone to access these resources.