About

Ethiopia is located between 33 degrees celcius and 48 degrees celcius east longitudes and 3 degrees celcius and 15 degrees celcius latitude, with a total area of 1.13 million square kilometers. Ethiopia has rugged topography features. The vast central highlands separated from the Eastern highlands by the Great Rift Valley running from the northeast to the southern part of the country.

The altitude ranges from the highest peak of about 4 620 meters above sea level at Ras Degen in the North, and down to 110 meters below sea level in the northeast. About 45 per cent of country is highland with an altitude of greater than 1500 meters above sea level, and 55 per cent is lowland with an altitude of less than 1500 meters above sea level. The total population of the country for the year 2008 is estimated at 73 918 505 million of which the vast majority -- 62.9 million -- reside in rural areas.

Climate and Climate Change

Ethiopia is rich in diverse climatic conditions with average temperature ranging between 10 degrees celcius and 35 degrees celcius, and the annual rainfall ranging between 250mm and 2,000mm. This enables the country to have vast diversity resources. Besides this the country has great opportunities in the agricultural sector. Using various agro-climatic zones, the country can produce different types of crops as well as other agricultural products. Climatic resources are also a source of tourist attractions.

Ethiopia is vulnerable to global climate change, whose impacts are being felt through the recurrent droughts and periodic flooding in some parts of the country. This in turn has frequently affected the livelihoods and the economy of the country at large including agricultural and forestry sectors, water resources, industry, tourism etc. Changes in climate may also result in the spread of vector and water borne diseases, especially in areas with inadequate health infrastructure.

Water resource scarcity induced by climate change may result in economic, social and political instability, declining biodiversity that might be irreversible; acceleration of desertification and adverse impact on ecosystems. The shortage of water has affected the water volume in reservoirs leading to power shortages and rationing. On the other hand, Ethiopia is not a net contributor to the global greenhouse gas emissions and the air pollution problem has not yet been observed.



Strategy

Ethiopia has expressed its commitment to the principle of mitigating climate change and to take appropriate control measures. In this respect, it has ratified a number of multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) including the UNFCCC and its Kyoto protocol and UNCCD. In general there is a strong need for Ethiopia to strengthen its efforts to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change and proactively manage the problems of air pollution.

Ethiopia is an active supporter of UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign, contributing more trees than any other nation – over one billion – towards the global target of planting seven billion trees by the crucial UN climate change conference in December 2009.

To this end the Government issued an energy policy which states in article 2.5 the need to change the current energy production and utilization practices and ensure that energy development is based on sound management practices and is benign to the environment.

Through the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation, the Government is also distributing 5.4 million compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), commonly known as “energy savers” country-wide to help electricity consumers to save money on their electricity bills and cut carbon emissions.

Furthermore, the Government is currently looking at developing renewable energy projects, including the recently launched Ashegoda Wind Power Project, the country’s first wind farm, in Tigray State which will have an installed capacity of 120 MW, along with annual energy production of 400 to 450 GWH.

With support from Germany’s Solar Energy Foundation, some 2 000 solar systems have been installed in the rural village of Rema and in nearby Rema ena Dire, making it the biggest solar power project in East Africa. The project has brought power to 5 500 residents in a country where only one percent of people in rural areas have access to electricity.

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