The government of Ethiopia has adopted a five-year national Blue economy strategy in a bid to utilize its freshwater environments sustainably and protect biodiversity.
The National Blue Economy Strategy of Ethiopia is prepared in collaboration with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
“The strategy will create an opportunity for our country to harness the benefits of inland water bodies (such as) rivers, lakes, and wetlands,” said Transport and Logistics Minister Dagmawit Moges.
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“This will contribute to the realization of creating prosperous and equitable economic development,” the Minister noted while announcing the launching of the action plan on Sunday.
The launch comes nine months after ministers in charge of a blue economy in IGAD countries endorsed a Regional Blue Economy Strategy.
The ministers also recommended that the regional bloc support member states in domesticating the strategy for the sustainable use and the conservation of oceans and seas, coastlines and banks, lakes, rivers, and groundwater in the IGAD region.
On Sunday, the Ministers for Transport and Logistics (MoTL), Tourism, Water and Energy of Ethiopia adopted on Sunday during a ministerial meeting in Bahir Dar City.
The top officials of the three ministries also declared their readiness to advance the implementation of the Strategy which will run for five years, starting in the year 2023.
Dagmawit said the development and implementation of the Blue Economy strategy “is one of the core initiatives identified in our ten years perspective plan and national logistics strategy.”
The Transport and Logistics minister further explained that:
“The strategy addresses a number of matters that promote action-oriented interventions that place people and the Blue Economy resources at the center of sustainable development.
It promotes access to technologies and innovations; capacity building; improving the role and participation of women and youth.
The strategy also promotes collaboration for sustainable partnerships and projects in the various sectors of the Blue Economy and interventions to mobilize finances from public and private sources.”
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Dagmawit said the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Minister along with respective agencies is working to achieve the goals of the strategy, with a special focus on “excelling in shipping services, port development, seafarers training, ship registration, and other maritime services.”
IGAD’s Secretary-General Wrkeneh Gebeyehu said the regional bloc will provide all the necessary support for the sustainable utilization of the Blue Economy potentials for the socio-economic development of the region.
