African Water Development Report 2006 - United Nations Economic ...

Box 6.2Pollution Control – The Ethiopian ExperienceCleaner leather productionA small number of cities and their immediate surroundings host most of Ethiopia’s industrial facilities. Addis Ababaand a few neighboring towns generate approximately two thirds of the country’s manufacturing value added.Industrial pollution – especially from tanneries, textile mills and soap factories – and urban waste are a seriousthreat to important water resources such as the Awash River and the Northern Rift Valley Lakes which are thelifeline of the environmentally sensitive cattle-raising region to the south of the capital.With extensive assistance from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), six tanneries,all but one (Dessie) operating I Addis Ababa and its vicinity, have made significant strides in pollution control.The three-steam effluent treatment plant (which includes a state-of-the-art chrome recovery system) commissionedrecently at Awash Tannery, is one of Africa’s most advanced pollution abatement facilities. Wallia, Direand Dessie boast similar plants and the existing treatment facilities at two other tanneries, Ethiopia and Blue Nile,have been rehabilitated.Protecting Ecosystems in AfricaBenchmark benefitsAfrican leather manufacturers are now well aware that, in addition to cost savings and improvements in environmentalperformance, the introduction of new technologies often allows an expansion in the range of their products.This has become crucial in recent years when rising prices of hides and skins have cut deeply into the profitmargins of wet-blue and crust exporters and prompted them to shift more of their resources to the manufactureof finished leathers as well as footwear, garments and other leather products. To raise awareness with respectto such business opportunities and stimulate a wider acceptance of cleaner production standards, the assistanceprovided by UNIDO includes a continuous exchange of insights from practical experience as well as advice deliveredby experts from leading European leather manufacturers and chemical companies.A widely attended seminar held in Addis Ababa in March 2000, was a milestone in this process. Technology optionsaiming at reducing water consumption, improving energy efficiency, optimizing the dosage and fixation ofchemicals and minimizing the organic pollutant load in spent liquors were the subject of eloquent presentationsand lively debate. What emerged was a balanced review of cleaner production options for leather manufacturersin Ethiopia and elsewhere in the region – pollution-containment solutions that are viable in terms of both costand product quality.Source: UNIDO Regional Office, Addis Ababa, 2003137