Irrigation in Ethiopia (pdf, 0.23 MB, en) - GIZ
Irrigation in Ethiopia (pdf, 0.23 MB, en) - GIZ
Irrigation in Ethiopia (pdf, 0.23 MB, en) - GIZ
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Gad Elharar from MASHAV expla<strong>in</strong>s how the irrigation system works.<br />
» INTERVIEW<br />
‘TRIANGULAR COOPERATION’<br />
Ronit Golovaty is an irrigation and agriculture specialist for the<br />
Israeli state developm<strong>en</strong>t cooperation programme MASHAV. She is<br />
sp<strong>en</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g three years on site <strong>in</strong> <strong>Ethiopia</strong> support<strong>in</strong>g the triangular<br />
irrigation project.<br />
What new approaches are be<strong>in</strong>g tak<strong>en</strong> as a result of the cooperation betwe<strong>en</strong> <strong>Ethiopia</strong>, Israel<br />
and Germany?<br />
We use synergies to achieve results that would not have be<strong>en</strong> possible <strong>in</strong> a bilateral<br />
project. We Israelis have many years of experi<strong>en</strong>ce <strong>in</strong> irrigation. <strong>GIZ</strong> has be<strong>en</strong> <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>Ethiopia</strong> for many years and <strong>en</strong>joys a great deal of trust here. I would have be<strong>en</strong> stuck<br />
without the networks and experi<strong>en</strong>ce of my German colleagues. And because the partnership<br />
betwe<strong>en</strong> <strong>GIZ</strong> and MASHAV works so well, the <strong>Ethiopia</strong>n partner sees us as a s<strong>in</strong>gle<br />
partner.<br />
What are the major chall<strong>en</strong>ges fac<strong>in</strong>g the project?<br />
The sheer size of our project is a chall<strong>en</strong>ge. Our aim is to <strong>en</strong>g<strong>in</strong>eer the susta<strong>in</strong>able adaptation<br />
of agriculture to climate change <strong>in</strong> four regions of <strong>Ethiopia</strong> with twelve very differ<strong>en</strong>t<br />
project approaches – and all that on a tight budget <strong>in</strong> just three and a half years.<br />
What aspects are already work<strong>in</strong>g well, and where is remedial work necessary?<br />
Coord<strong>in</strong>ation processes betwe<strong>en</strong> three partners are of course bound to be somewhat<br />
time-consum<strong>in</strong>g. But tasks and responsibilities are clearly assigned, so we are able to<br />
work effici<strong>en</strong>tly. Although the project br<strong>in</strong>gs together three very differ<strong>en</strong>t work<strong>in</strong>g cultures,<br />
each partner can learn from the others.<br />
we can now harvest more chillies, tomatoes and<br />
onions from this field, th<strong>en</strong> we will also be able<br />
to sell more,’ she says. ‘And th<strong>en</strong> re<strong>in</strong>vest the<br />
money <strong>in</strong> an irrigation system for our second<br />
field.’<br />
What her father is practis<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> his small<br />
field will hopefully serve as a lesson to others.<br />
Although older <strong>in</strong> years, he rema<strong>in</strong>s youthful <strong>in</strong><br />
m<strong>in</strong>d and op<strong>en</strong> to technological advances. For<br />
this reason he has be<strong>en</strong> voted a ‘model farmer’<br />
by his village, which still uses traditional agricultural<br />
methods that have be<strong>en</strong> practised for<br />
c<strong>en</strong>turies. ‘In <strong>Ethiopia</strong> <strong>in</strong>novations are oft<strong>en</strong><br />
met with scepticism, ev<strong>en</strong> though you could<br />
hardly call what we are do<strong>in</strong>g high tech wizardry.<br />
But wh<strong>en</strong> the other farmers realise irrigat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
fields with this new technology produces<br />
higher yields, they will follow suit. Just as important<br />
as the irrigation system, however, is the<br />
more rational approach to water use. Here time<br />
is of the ess<strong>en</strong>ce; we need to achieve results<br />
quickly, s<strong>in</strong>ce climate change can no longer be<br />
ignored,’ expla<strong>in</strong>s <strong>GIZ</strong> employee Eckart Bode.<br />
He is work<strong>in</strong>g on the <strong>Ethiopia</strong>n-German Susta<strong>in</strong>able<br />
Land Managem<strong>en</strong>t programme, an <strong>in</strong>itiative<br />
f<strong>in</strong>anced by the German Federal M<strong>in</strong>istry<br />
for Economic Cooperation and Developm<strong>en</strong>t<br />
(BMZ) which <strong>en</strong>compasses the triangular<br />
partnership betwe<strong>en</strong> Israel, <strong>Ethiopia</strong> and Germany<br />
<strong>in</strong>itiated by the German Federal M<strong>in</strong>istry<br />
for the Environm<strong>en</strong>t, Nature Conservation and<br />
Nuclear Safety (BMU).<br />
8<br />
akz<strong>en</strong>te 01/2011