Role Of Ethiopia’s Trans-boundary Water Diplomacy For Regional Economic Integration In North East Africa Region

Ethiopia’s transboundary water diplomacy has been playing a great role in coordinating Nile riparian countries negotiation process on equal and reasonable utilization of shared water resources in north east Africa.Most of Ethiopia’s transboundary rivers(six of them out of eight)flows to Nile basin system except Gibe and Shebelle,which flows across Kenya and Somalia border respectively.Nile River is the strategic and most controversial Watercourses in the region due to its high economic benefits for riparian countries.Nile River is the strategic and most controversial International River in the region due to its high economic benefit for the countries in the region according to studies done on the hydro politics.Water sharing competition among the upper and lower riparian countries and colonial agreements are among the major factors complicated cooperation on water utilization and basin management among the riparian states.Ethiopia’s water diplomacy indeed perennially underscore the essence of mutual benefit,based on trust,balancing best alternative to negotiated agreements between parties,efficient utilization of the resources to uphold common agenda of development and trust between the beneficiaries of transboundary water courses.Of course,such diplomatic engagement of Ethiopia significantly in enhancing economic interactions in the region as confirmed by supply of electricity to some of the countries as benefit sharing in the region.In the last two decades Ethiopia’s water diplomacy has done much in creating awareness and building confidence among riparian countries regarding transboundary water utilization and its hydro project developments as a main riparian country.For instance,before ten-year international community has no fully awareness about Nile River fundamental information,where it exactly originated,what was the water share of Ethiopia among the Nile basin riparian countries was not known.This has changed,upon launching of Ethiopia’s Renaissance dam(GERD)on Nile River.The announcement of GERD made Ethiopia’s water diplomacy significant both regionally and internationally.And before and after that Ethiopia’s government has took number of initiatives and programs in water diplomacy,which has promoted regional cooperation.Among,this a numbers of international Water symposium,Seminar and conferences held in around trans-boundary water resources in the region.Regarding regional cooperation that could facilitate economic integration,Ethiopia has coordinated establishment of Nile basin Initiative in 1999,which has managed to produce Comprehensive Framework Agreement(CFA)to ratify and make as their legal documents to establish Nile commission.Ethiopia clearly and boldly presented her national agenda of development(electricity generation)to international community been accepted.Furthermore,Ethiopia signed agreements with neighboring countries to trade off power and clean water.Ethiopia also managed to sign declaration of principles(DOP),a tripartite treaty among Ethiopia,Egypt and Sudan to cooperate on Dam projects.This would facilitate and accelerate the regional economy and political integration.Regional economic integration is the major continental agenda that African union has prioritized and promoting with the theme “2063 vision of AU is becoming an economically and politically unified,prosperous and peaceful continent that governed by its own citizens and represented on the international stage”(African Union).All of Africa’s regional blocks have adopted this economic integration agenda and promoting in their respective region.As a part of Intergovernmental Authority for Development(IGAD)in east Africa’s regional block member Ethiopia is working to accelerate the economic and social development of the Horn Africa region to realize 2063 African Union vision of economic integration.Nile River is an international watercourse which flows across varying positions of11 east and north east African countries,extends from its head water in Ethiopia and Congo basin down to Sudan and Egypt could be a great factor for good interaction.Ethiopia contributes 86% of fresh water to this Nile River basin system,gave a strong bargaining power to play a coordinator role.This study organized in five chapters.The first chapter has included introduction,statement of the problem,significance of the study,objectives,review of related literatures,methodologies and theoretical frame work of trans-boundary water diplomacy.The study based on Secondary data and Primary data collected from selective experts,ambassadors and diplomats who has a long time experience in Ethiopia’s water diplomacy through open ended questions and detailed personal discussions focussed on Ethiopia’s water diplomacy.Qualitative analysis method has been used in evaluating the role of Ethiopia’s water diplomacy in fostering regional economic integration.Previous study results related to support the arguments in discussing the role Ethiopia’s trans-boundary water diplomacy in fostering regional cooperation that leads to further economic integration among riparian countries sharing the same international watercourses in north east African region.Benefit sharing is one approach to bypass the contentious issue of water sharing on trans-boundary water cooperation,if the focus is switched from physical volumes of water to the various values derived from water use in multiple spheres,including economic,social,political,and environmental that could help riparian to see the problem as one of positive-sum outcomes associated with optimizing benefits rather than the zero-sum outcomes on shared water courses.Continuum theory approach underline Convergence of cooperative agenda could be facilitated by several important and practical steps to realize economic integration through trans-boundary water.In the third chapter,historical back ground of Ethiopia’s water diplomacy in the entire east and north east Africa has discussed.The achievements of Ethiopia’s water diplomacy in the last two decades in coordinating both upper and lower riparian countries,including Nile basin initiative,(NBI),Cooperative Framework agreement(CFA)and Declaration of principles(DOP)has discussed briefly to shade a light on the role of Ethiopia’s water diplomacy in regional cooperation and economic integration.The third Chapter discussed the significance of Ethiopia’s trans-boundary water diplomacy in regional cooperation further more for economic integration.Lack of strong institution on international/ trans-boundary water resources management,increased misstrust and hesitation among the countries on transboundary water cooperation due to colonial treaties and agreements,lack of financial access and regional and international political pressures,were the main factors that has been challenging Ethiopia’s trans boundary water diplomacy in the region.Ethiopia was one of the upper riparian country and 86% of fresh water contributor which was excluded from those colonial treaties.Not only excluded from the treaties but also lost the right of using its trans-boundary water resources to utilize for any kind of developments,the lower riparian countries water hegemony based on colonial treaties,geopolitical and none state actor influence was discussed as a major challenges of Ethiopia’s water diplomacy in the region.Chapter four highlights the existing Ethiopia’s diplomatic relations with neighboring countries.Ethiopia’s diplomatic relation with lower riparian countries is very crucial in water cooperation since ensuring water security is a common national agenda that cannot be achieved separately.Trans-boundary water resource also interconnect the future of the countries through economic interdependence makes the diplomatic relation more important in promoting trans-boundary water cooperation and economic integration.Chapter five composed conclusions and recommendation indicating the way forward in the future Ethiopia’s water diplomacy.Ethiopia’s water diplomacy indeed gradually underscore the essence of mutual benefit,based on trust,balancing best alternative to negotiated agreements between parties,efficient utilization of the resources to uphold common agenda of development and trust between the beneficiaries of transboundary water resource.This has been significantly enhancing economic cooperation in the region through supply of electricity,which is the part of benefit sharing out of international water courses.Ethiopia’s water diplomacy has been challenged by both internal and external influences including defund budget for mega hydro development projects and diplomatic isolations.Ethiopia’s water diplomacy has been playing significant role in encouraging regional cooperation and economic integration,using its comparative advantages of being source of fresh water naturally,to neighboring countries and most of them are beneficial in fresh water supply for their agricultural products,power generation,sanitation and ecosystem service.So infrastructural connectivity should be the main priority area of foreign policies of the riparian countries in promoting economic integration in the region.The riparian countries should be motivated to cooperate on trans boundary water resources by implementing the cooperative Framework agreement,which objective Was to realize an institution that manage equitable,fair and sustainable use of the Nile River without causing the significant harm on the other riparian countries based on the international water law.Consistent diplomatic engagement of Ethiopia in the bilateral relations,regional fora,wider multilateral platform and major global powers persuaded the actual benefit of the regional stability and contribution of economic integration is the main message of the conclusion and recommendation parts.