18/09/2021
is a large East African country with a fast growing population. The country is an amalgamation of multiple ethnic groups; that combined with mountainous terrain means that the government faces significant issues in controlling centres of power.
One way to unify the country is to electrify the nation whilst improving the living standards of its people.
The country is facing significant internal social strife as well as facing friction from nearby regional powers ( and ). For it to achieve economic growth in a sustainable manner, it must find a way to stabilise its social fabric.
Instead of following traditional routes (industrialisation by means of fossil fuels), Ethiopia has the opportunity to utilise its significant renewable resources.
It’s already started following this path as can be seen by the . The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is an example of a project that is funded by the people of Ethiopia. This provides a sense of unity amongst Ethiopians of various ethnicities. Ancillary works related to the GERD, such as power distribution, have been funded by foreign actors.
With multiple rivers flowing through it, Ethiopia can exploit natural resources to produce a sustainable energy model. However, it must be careful to not fall into the trap of over exploiting the resources as this will have detrimental effects not only to its own people but to the populaces of downstream countries.
A stable Ethiopia that produces electricity will create a stable East Africa which will allow the uplift of a significant number of people to the global middle class.
The country is facing major effects from climate change such as more frequent and devastating droughts and famines, a generally higher average temperature, and a reduction in the amount of rainfall.
This is not Ethiopia’s fault as they have not been historic major emitters of greenhouse gasses.
