Environmental Policy of Ethiopia: Review
By: Bewket Dereje
1. Introduction
This paper is meant to review the environmental policy of Ethiopia, so that come up with the
brief summary and critical appraisal of the policy. The strengths and shortcomings of the policy
are outlined throughout the summary. The reviewer hasn’t treated them separately except on the
general reflection at the end of the paper, since the main body itself is about assessment than
being mere abridgment.
The paper contains the review of background and justification of the policy; the goal, objectives
and principles that guide the overall policy; the sectoral and cross-sectoral policies linkages; the
implementation issues; the implication of the policy on health of population; and general
reflection on the feasibility of the policy.
2. Background and Justification of the Environmental Policy of
Ethiopia
The policy embarked on the discussion of the economic nature of the country, predominantly
agrarian and its relation with the natural environment. Accordingly, it claimed that natural
resource and the natural environment are the steppingstone for the economy in general and
agriculture which supports the lion share of GDP, export and employment, in particular. Besides,
this sector is portrayed as to be challenged by resource depletion and environmental problems
such as deforestation, climate change and soil erosion, and ultimately loss of productivity.
The policy highlighted the potential of the country in terms of mineral resources, and water
resources for irrigated agriculture and hydropower generation. It tried to show how such
resources are underutilized because of lack of appropriate policies and disruptive state
interventions.
Then, the policy document briefly discussed the then urban population proportion and associated
problems, and the likely hood of its growth and exacerbating problems such as insufficient and
very poor quality housing, serious deficiencies of sanitation services and inadequate sewerage
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infrastructures, and the ultimate effect of these problems on health and life of people inhabited in
urban areas.
Finally, by recognizing the richness of the country with natural and cultural heritages, the
government rationalized the need of formulating environmental policy concomitant with the
general economic development policy with the intension of harmonization of exploitation of
resources on the one hand and environmental sustainability on the other hand.
The reviewer believe that the policy had had entertained the issue of population pressure and its
effect on environmental deterioration. All of the aforementioned environmental problems, in one
way or another is highly related with population growth and the need of additional resources.
Therefore, it had had been better if the policy had articulate the issue of population as a
justification for sound environmental policy.
3. Policy Goal, Objectives and Principles
The overall policy goal is:
to improve and enhance the health and quality of life of all Ethiopians and to promote
sustainable social and economic development through the sound management and use of
natural, human-made and cultural resources and the environment as a whole so as to meet
the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.
This goal is very broad and ambitious to be achieved so that the policy set several specific
objectives and principles dealt with (to mention few) healthy environment, sustainable economic
production, management and utilization of renewable and nonrenewable resources with
appropriate and affordable technologies, recognition of environmental and social costs,
participation of community at all levels in management, utilization and conservation of
resources, integrated implementation of policies at all levels(federal, regional, local community),
and others.
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4. Sectoral and Cross-sectoral Environmental Policies
Since the issue of environment is so vast and need the involvement of various sectors, the policy
incorporated independent sectoral and cross sectoral policies. Environment touches every arena
of human life. Recognizing this conception, the policy put cross-sectoral environmental policies
which can be implemented with other institution. This is the strength of the policy, even though
it has its own adverse effect on the implementation.
Sectoral policies Cross-sectoral policies
- Soil Husbandry and Sustainable - Population and the Environment
Agriculture - Community Participation and the
- Forest, Woodland and Tree Resources Environment
- Genetic, Species and Ecosystem - Tenure and Access Rights to Land and
Biodiversity Natural Resources
- Water Resources - Land Use Plan
- Energy Resource - Social and Gender Issues
- Mineral Resources - Environmental Economics
- Human Settlement, Urban Environment - Environmental Information System
and Environmental Health - Environmental Research
- Control of Hazardous Materials and - Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Pollution From Industrial Waste - Environmental Education and Awareness
- Atmospheric Pollution and Climate Change
- Cultural and Natural Heritage
5. Policy Implementation
The policy stated that the involvement of the federal, regional zonal weredas and community
levels in the implementation of the environmental policies. Again, there is an explicit need of
establishing coordination and management bodies at all levels to handle the sectoral and cross
sectoral planning and implementation of environmental programs. However, in the policy
document, there is no clear institutional arrangement designed for implementation categorizing
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sectoral and cross-sectoral approaches. Tasks and responsibilities of implementing bodies are
also remained unidentified.
6. Implication of the Environmental Policy on Health
Environment has direct and indirect relation with health and life of people. Conducive climate
condition, clean water and air, clean living villages and homes … promote the health of the
population. The policy aimed to protect deforestation, soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity. It
aspired to increase economic production with environmental sustainability. It also endeavors to
control hazardous wastes and materials which create environmental pollution, to manage wastage
disposals and sanitation problems, and to intervene on living arrangements which jeopardize
human health. Therefore, the reviewer argues that the environmental policy has explicit
implication on promotion of health of Ethiopians if it is materialized.
7. General Reflection
The policy reasonably depicted empirical evidences on the GDP of the country, the estimates of
deforestation, burning of dung as a fuel, soil erosion, urbanization and deterioration of urban
environment and its effect of health and wellbeing, and the potential of the country if natural and
cultural resources and heritages are appropriately managed and utilized.
Having such background, a very comprehensive, general and broad goal is set which require the
involvement of various sectors for its implementation. The policy is adequate and all inclusive in
its scope and areas of concern. And the approach stated is appropriate being cross-sectoral and
decentralized at all levels for effective execution.
However, its broader scope and amorphous nature can be challenging for feasibility of
implementation, having poor resource base, underdeveloped human resource and low social
consciousness on environmental issues. Facts on the ground also indicated that the policy is
under implemented.
Each sectoral and cross sectoral policy seems autonomous policy which needs independent
institution for its operation. Moreover, the policy stated objectives, what to do and lacks
strategies of how to achieve objectives. That means the policy is in vain unless it directs its ways
of implementation. Monitoring and evaluation is also difficult with no clear institutional and
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complex organizational arrangement. Finally, the policy has nothing to say about the sources of
finance and the financing strategies for operation of the policy, another weakness.
