Efficient water management system, need of the hour: Abera Tilahun

President of Micro Business College,
Mr. Abera Tilahun giving opening remarks
during 6th Wangari Maathai Memorial
Lecture at Woliso campus on 24th March. 

President of Micro Business College, Mr. Abera Tilahun opined that to make use of its extremely low levels of hydraulic infrastructure, the country needed highly efficient water management system. He was giving opening remarks during the 6th Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture Series at Woliso campus of the college on 24 March. He added that since rain-fed subsistence agriculture is the base for the country’s socio-economic growth, water management must receive a prime place in the developmental plans. 

“Our country is blessed by 14 major rivers to get the nickname, Water Tower of Africa. Disappointingly, our water flows out without optimum use, due to lack of proper irrigation systems”, he said. Quoting statistics, Mr. Abera added that the country uses just 1.5 percent of its river water for irrigation and mere 1 percent for power production. 

He said that it should not be ignored that when developed countries like the USA, for example invested a mere 1 litre of water for producing 1 calorie food; developing countries like Ethiopia needed to use 100 litres for growing 1 calorie food. 

He reiterated that his college believed in Wangari Maathai’s great ideal of doing small things to bring big changes. He expressed optimism that the college’s upcoming Wangari Maathai Integrated Rural Development Scheme of Uru-Gamo would contribute to the watershed management of Guddar river area, finally adding to the well being of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.  Mr. Abera requested Prof. Tafa Tulu to provide necessary advice and guidance in this regard for the college.  

As respect flows for a water expert

Picture speaks: President of Micro Business College, Mr. Abera Tilahun presents a framed painting depicting two women collecting water from a stream, to Prof. Tafa Tulu, speaker for the 6h Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture.PHOTO: SIVAKUMAR K.P.

Prof. Tafa Tulu receives Certificate of Honour from Mr. Abera Tilahun. PHOTO: SIVAKUMAR K.P. 

6th Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture: Audience

Participants of World Water Day special 6th Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture join for photo with speaker, Prof. Tafa Tulu at Woliso campus of Micro Business College on 24 March. PHOTO: SIVAKUMAR K.P., YADETA YADESA.

Questions and answers on water facts

After the lecture it was time for the participants to open their minds and make a free discussion with the presenter. Like a seasoned teacher, Prof. Tafa Tulu was attending to and providing answers and explanations in a notably simple language to make even the toughest technical aspects palatable for the heterogeneous audience. To depict a few:

Mr. Yadeta Yadesa

How would you support us in making optimum water useage at our campus?

“I will provide all technical support. I saw the acquifer you have identified and established. We can think of integrated agriculture with fishery, poultry and horticulture”. 

Mr Takalegn Diribsa

Our Town administration needs your training. Please tell us how we can bring these ideas to our villagers?

“Water technology needs equality in access. Roof water harvesting is not a difficult thing. My latest idea is to establish a self contained village where water, food and energy are produced for their need and sefl-suficient”.

Ms. Asnagech Tafera

Micro Business College’s lecture series needs appreciation. Prof. Tafa Tulu’s lecture should be held all over the country. This is something that our people should learn. 

“I have no hesitation in sharing my knowledge for the welfare of our countrymen”.  

How does water technology contribute to climate change adaptation?

Prof. Tafa Tulu's lecture marking 6th in the Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture Series on Environment, Development and Society provided some interesting aspects of water conservation that can adapted by the well-informed and lay people alike. PHOTO: SIVAKUMAR K.P.

The question, how water technology contributes to climate change adaptation, was sufficiently answered by the speaker. With simple practice of rain water harvesting, following can be easily achieved: 

• Diversification of household water supply

• Increased resilience to water quality degradation

• Reducing the pressure on surface and groundwater resources

• Recharge of groundwater aquifers

• Mitigation of flooding by capturing rooftop runoff during rainstorms

• Providing short-term security against periods of low rainfall and the failure or degradation of other water supplies

6th Lecture gifts drops of water wisdom

All about the elixir of life: Prof. Tafa Tulu
delivering World Water Day special
6th Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture at
Woliso Campus of Micro Business College on 24, March.
PHOTO: SIVAKUMAR K.P. 

World Water Day special 6th Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture on Environment, Development and Society was held successfully at Woliso campus of Micro Business College on 24 March. 

Highlight was the lecture by Ethiopia’s one of the leading experts in water technology, Prof. Tafa Tulu. Titled, ‘Climate change adaptation through appropriate water technology’, his lecture was well received by the audience comprising of Planning Supervisor, South West Shoa Zone, Mr. Takalegn Diribsa, community elders, teachers and students of the campus. 

Prof. Tafa Tulu’s long experience as a guide and teacher of the subject area was vividly displayed throughout the lecture. He began with introducing climate change, reasons behind it and different manifestations of the phenomenon. The gravity of the issue was explicit in the World Health Organization’s statistics the speaker has quoted. Out of 800,000 annual deaths due to climate change, about 150,000 are due to air pollution to which children are the most Susceptible. In addition are its effect on food, animal and plant resources. 

A gifted teacher, Prof. Tafa Tulu presented six major water technologies that can contribute considerably to mitigate the climate change effects. These include: Rainwater harvesting from roofs; Surface water harvesting; Groundwater harvesting; Desalination; Water reclamation and reuse; and Water safety plans (WSPs).

For those who were technically sound enough, Prof. Tafa Tulu’s lecture had enough technical information to quest their thirst. For those novices to the subject, there were numerical values and graphical representations, making things clear.   

 Since our Woliso campus has school classes also, there were enthusiastic young talents, who added life to the event.  His elaborations on the different types of bunds; flood harvesting and rainwater harvesting were eagerly received by the audience, which was proved by an active interaction between the lecturer and the audience. President of the Micro Business College, Mr. Abera Tilahun in his opening remarks commented about the integral place of water starting from individual human body to the sustenance of the blue planet. 

Coordinator (Research, Development and Communication) of the college, Mr. Sivakumar K.P. welcomed participants. Vice Director of the college’s Woliso campus, Mr. Yadeta Yedesa proposed vote of thanks. Mr. Abera Tilahun honoured Prof. Tafa Tulu with a Certificate of Honour and a paining depicting two Ethiopian women fetching water from a stream - an appropriate memento for a water expert.