 infestation. Government is seeking help to contorl it.){kind=link}
Bernabas Shiferaw
borkena
May 25, 2020
The agency for the protection and development of water resources has called on other institutions to contribute to the efforts of controlling Enboch (Water Hyacinth) infestation at Lake Tana, Ethiopia’s largest lake. Although various methods have been adopted to free the lake from this paste at different times, the infestation still poses a serious threat to the lake, the surrounding community, and the Nile basin.
Lake Tana holds 50 percent of Ethiopia’s fresh water. It shelters around 28 species of fish, of which 21 are endemic. According to a 2017 estimate, the lake’s potential for fish production amounts to 13,000 tons annually.
Originally from South America, Enboch (known as Eichhornia crassipes in the scientific world), appeared in Ethiopia several years before. By 2011, it was already labeled the most dangerous paste posing a threat to the lake covering about 20,000 hectares of the lake’s shore.
Enboch directly threatens both the lake and its inhabitants. It deprives aquatic plants and animals of sunlight and oxygen. It also restricts water flow and is an obstacle to all kinds of economic activities including fishing, navigation, power generation, and irrigation.
By 2017, the infestation covered 50,000 hectares of the shore. Since then several methods had been announced, from a biological one to another that involved the use of ICT, as being employed to control the infestation. Reports, however, show that the most effective effort so far has come from the surrounding community.
Despite these efforts, the infestation persisted and even got worse. In the current Ethiopian year, the infestation expanded to the water part of the lake, covering 1,000 hectares of it.
The matter also touches upon, among other things, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) over which Ethiopia and Egypt have recently gotten into an intense diplomatic strife.
Lake Tana contributes 60 percent of Nile’s water. Thus, officials say, the Enboch infestation poses a threat not just to the community surrounding the lake or Ethiopians at large but also to populations of Sudan and Egypt who are directly or indirectly dependent on the Nile for their survival. Reports show that the infestation has already spread to parts of the Nile.
The government had announced its resolution to completely free the lake of the paste by the end of the current Ethiopian year. Dr. Ayalew Wonde, the head of the government agency in charge of the matter, told AL-Ain that although the infestation has not grown worse in previous months, the work done so far has not been as effective as planned. If not urgently controlled, Dr. Ayalew said, it is possible that it might reach the GERD. Thus, as much attention and urgency must be attached to controlling the infestation as is being attached to the GERD.
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I really believe Egypt should file complaints at the UN Security Council about this invasive weed. The weed is building a dam at the source of the Blue Nile right in front of el-Sisi’s bulging eyes. What is the matter with this guy? I think I am gonna call him and urge him to do just that. I also will tell him that such weed invasion is the combined conspiracy scheme by those Amharas and Oromos because they invented it at their labs in Addis/Finfine just to stop the flow of the river. Them naughty rascals!!!!
Dear all
I am fully committed to help and contribute my efforts to eradicate water hyacinth from lake tana and the world by intellectual swords.
I have prepared a scientific research proposal which is appropriate and simple method, easily applicable by peasants and ordinary people.
The constraint is getting enough fund , Recently i tried to submit this proposal to Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy, but they replied that they don’t have Budget to fund for personally submitted research proposals.
To ask fund here and there submitting my proposal makes me frightened of Plagiarism. Would you please give me directions to trusted funding organizations to get fund after scientific review and defend process.
if you are kindly cooperating, first i will send my profile and then the full document of my research proposal.
The floating weeds will 100% eradicated within 5 to 50 days, depending on the recommendation produced out of the scientific research result.
With best regards
Respectfully Yours
Yohannes
Dont say Ethiopia is unable to control water hyacinth or Ethiopia gave up to control water hyacinth, this is disgusting, for us.
Water hyacinth will be eradicated by scientifically recommended method.
there are so many professionals who didn’t get the chance to do research and innovate new recommendations, not only the chance but also the budget.
We are proud of our agriculturalists.
Yohannes
Dear Yohannes I have been at Tana last year and got a chance to see how powerfull and dangerous it is. it is not easy to destroy or to stop growing this weed at once. every year they try to destroy but it grows very fast, even they said “it duplicate itself when we touch it”. I think the reason is naturally the plant takes a lot of water and multiply itself in a second. it is uncontrollable. People around this place, especially monks live drinking this water which is not healthy. and they are afraid of loosing even this unclean water.
It really needs a scientific study and some materials to solve. If you are saying there is a scientific result you can participate, one day has a big difference to Tana. Ethiopians are focusing on politics and other things forgetting the main resource.
Please do your best
thank you