The Monthly Publication from the Ethiopian Embassy in London Ethiopian News April 2012 Issue Inside this Issue: Ethiopia's wind energy potential huge: survey………………………………………………………………………………………page 2 Ethiopian Diaspora urged to harness investment opportunities at home………………………………………………page 3 13th World Congress on Public Health: at a glance………………………………………………………………………………...page 5 Konso Cultural Landscape registration celebrated…………………………………………………………………………………page 7 Celebrating the athletes and cultures of the world………………………………………………………………………………page 10 Film to Watch - Town of Runners………………………………………………………………………………………………………page 11 Artist Afewerk Tekle laid to rest………………………………………………………………………………………………………….page 11 PM Meles Zenawi to attend G8 Summit "We know the history of this city and how the emperor used to live here and we want to establish a Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has been invited by US relationship with this historic city,” the Ambassador President Barack Obama to take part in a session on said. "I have heard from people that the emperor was food security in Africa at the G8 summit at Camp thankful to the people of Bath during his time of trials David in Maryland between 18th and 19th May. PM and the people of Bath gave him full hospitality and Meles will be among four African leaders attending support." the summit, the others are Benin's president and African Union Chairman Thomas Boni Yayi, President He added that there were common links between John Mills of Ghana and Tanzania's President Jakaya Hawassa and Bath, with any possible twinning Kikwete . arrangement allowing them to build on the fact that they are both tourist destinations with renowned Bath to twin with Hawassa spas. A proposal to twin Bath with the city of Hawassa in The Ambassador later addressed a meeting of the Ethiopia was discussed by councillors in April. Chartered Trustees of Bath. In his speech, Ambassador Berhanu Kebede updated the Trustees H.E. Ambassador Berhanu Kebede visited the city of on the economic success Ethiopia has registered over Bath on 17th April to meet with the Mayor of Bath, the past two decades and expressed his belief that Bryan Chalker, to discuss the possibility of a twinning the twinning will lead to a symbiotic relation as Bath’s arrangement. business community will take advantage of Ethiopia’s investment opportunities in manufacturing, mining The Ambassador visited and agriculture. Fairfield House, in Newbridge, which was At the end of the speech, the Ambassador delivered a the home of Ethiopian formal request sent by the Mayor of Hawassa to the Emperor Haile Selassie Mayor of Bath. during his exile in the UK between 1936 and Counsellor Bryan Chalker then asked the Chartered 1941. It is this historic Trustees to vote on the proposed twinning which was link which is the driving unanimously agreed in principle with areas of force behind the cooperation to be decided after the City had the proposal to secure a chance to study the profile of Hawassa. The Lord formal bond between Mayor of Bath on his part promised to respond to the Bath and Hawassa. Mayor of Hawassa as soon as possible. Ethiopian News Ethiopia's wind energy potential huge: survey the international commitment to reducing emissions of greenhouse gas. Ethiopia has the potential to generate 1 million megawatts of power from wind energy according to a Dr. Tewolde Gebre-Egzabier, Director General of the $1.5 million survey conducted by the Hydro China Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority, Corporation. emphasised the benefit of harnessing renewable energy resources for Africa’s industrialisation. Wind farms are already under construction and are environmentally safe - in the coming year, the Renewable energy sources such as hydropower, Ashegoda Wind Farm is expected to produce 171MW geothermal, solar and wind power are plentiful in of wind power and is partly funded by the French Africa, he noted. government who are set to invest €210 million. “We have to start the process of adaptation straight away so as to progress along the climate-resilient trajectories of green economic development,” he said. Ethiopia has already started the process, gaining additional income from a growing carbon trade, which will help hasten the process of climate-adapted economic development while also helping in the mitigation of climate change. The Adama wind power project, developed at a cost of $117 million, is also nearing completion. The Last year, Ethiopia launched its Climate Resilient project, launched in June last year, will be finished in Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy to deliver green June next year. On completion, the farm's 34 towers economic growth. will have the capacity to generate a potential 51MW. The CRGE Strategy builds on the Growth and Wind and solar energy can help meet Ethiopia’s Transformation Plan (GTP), and is based on three growing energy demand, which according to the complementary objectives: fostering economic Ethiopian Electric and Power Corporation (EEPCo) is development and growth, ensuring mitigation of growing annually by around 24%. Wind and solar greenhouse gases (GHGs), and supporting adaptation energy also help to reduce global warming. to climate change. Ethiopia has already invested heavily in Africa's With a record number of over 1,000 registered biggest dam which is expected to generate 6,000MW participants, this year’s Africa Carbon Forum of power. demonstrated that Africa represents a golden opportunity for a green future. The three-day forum has been described by participants of previous ACFs as “the one ‘unmissable’ event for doing carbon business in Africa.” ACF’s aim is to share knowledge on carbon markets and green technologies in Africa. In related news, during the 4th edition of the African Carbon Forum held in Addis Ababa from 18th to 20th The conference included presentations by experts in April, with a focus on promoting green and low the field as well as workshops that allowed a dialogue carbon development in Africa, much emphasis was among policymakers, project developers, and placed on the decision, taken at the UN Climate investors on topics such as the future of the Clean Change Conference (COP17) in Durban, to reinforce Development Mechanism (CDM) in Africa, climate- 2 April 2012 Issue Ethiopian News smart agriculture, public–private partnerships, and Ethiopia to benefit from $7m commercial products project funding on the continent. project According to the World Bank, Africa has enormous The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture said potential for sustainable, climate-friendly that farmers in six African countries including development, with an abundance of renewable Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, and energy resources to satisfy future energy needs. Tanzania will benefit from the second phase of the Despite this, Africa continues to face enormous Commercial Products (COMPRO-II) project. obstacles to investment and lags behind other parts of the world in taking advantage of carbon finance to The COMPRO-II project is a $7m grant from the Bill & develop climate-friendly projects and to encourage Melinda Gates Foundation that aims to the transfer of cutting edge technologies and know- institutionalise quality assurance mechanisms and how. facilitate the rapid dissemination of top quality agricultural commercial products to increase yields “It is a continent that has the potential to make a and improve the food security of smallholder farmers significant impact on mitigating climate change in the region. through its extensive forest resources. To achieve this, further investment needs to be facilitated for The project, to be led by the International Institute of low carbon projects.” Tropical Agriculture, will aim to raise awareness among over two million smallholder farmers of The Africa Carbon Forum is held under the Nairobi effective and profitable commercial products by Framework, an initiative launched to help developing 2016, through public-private partnership. countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, to increase their participation in the CDM. Ethiopian Diaspora urged to harness investment opportunities at home For more information on Ethiopia’s Climate-Resilient Green Economy Strategy, please contact the press office on [email protected] Speaking at a discussion forum organised for Ethiopian Diaspora, Deputy Prime Minister and AFDB to invest in renewable energy in Ethiopia Foreign Affairs Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, called on the Diaspora to harness the investment The African Development Bank is set to invest $22.6 opportunities available at home, saying that the million to enhance renewable energy programmes in Government has created an investment-friendly low income countries, including those that are active atmosphere with a view to realising the Growth and in Ethiopia. Transformation Plan (GTP). The investment plan, calls for technical support and The government has designated 3.6 million hectares guidance from the Bank to prepare and implement of land for investment projects, of which half a the Assela wind farm project and Phase II of the Aluto million hectares is occupied by foreign investors. Langano geothermal project. The Deputy PM said that some 40% of land leased by Grants for project preparation of $1.7 million and the Ethiopian Diaspora is lying idle and the $900,000 were approved for both projects. government has already delegated a foreign company to study the investment activities. Ethiopia will seek full endorsement for the investment plan by this month.