7.02 Benedikt Kamski
Land & water resources in a regional context: Opportunities, challenges and hazards
Natural resources play a crucial role in Ethiopia’s quest for development. The availability of water resources is on the one hand a key factor defining the value of land in agro-economic terms while simultaneously being the major source for electric power generation in the country. In the light of growing pressure on land and water through natural factors such as climate change but also anthropogenic factors, including industrial development and population growth - allocation and availability of land and water resources are crucial factors determining the success of agricultural and industrial development strategies. However, changing patterns of local land and water use as well as management practices may not only entail externalities on a local scale but cause significant regional (transboundary) effects. There is hence a particular need for interdisciplinary studies, looking at water and land use beyond the mere local scope. This panel investigates Ethiopia's land and water resources in both, a local and regional context. The case study research and synthesis papers anticipated for this panel shall focuses on the following questions: (1) Which are the key determinants influencing local water and land use? (2) How do current and past relations to neighbouring countries foster cooperation or exacerbate conflicts over land and water? (3) How do regional differences in agricultural practices (e.g. pastoralism, smallholders, large-scale farming operations) translate into conflicts? (4) Which role do state actors at multiple governance levels (federal, state, zone, woreda, kebelle) play in the development, allocation and use of land and water resources? (5) Which social and economic spheres are most vulnerable to rising pressure on these resources?