The establishment of Awash and Wabi Shebele Basin Universities Forum, and the workshop were intended to raise on the current status of the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam. It is conducted in the Haramaya University of Afren-kello hall, August 12-13/2021.
In the conference, the State Minister of Science and Higher Education, Prof. Afework Kasu, Renaissance Dam negotiators, presidents, and representatives of eleven universities, as well as invited guests was attended.
The forum was established by Haramaya, Dire Dawa, Jijiga, Kebri Dahar, Oda Bultum, Medwelabu, Adama Science and Technology, Ambo, Wollo and Semera Universities.
At the opening ceremony, participants have expressed their deep respect and love for the Ethiopian Defense Force. The President of Haramaya University, Dr. Jemal Yusuf said, “Ethiopia is one of the leading countries in natural resources from east Africa and it has a huge gap in the proper use of the resource and because of using backward farming practices the agriculture sector remains dependent on the rainwater”. He elaborates, “Ethiopia has 12 major basins but has not utilized its natural resources and it is still depends on rain-fed agriculture.”
According to Dr. Jemal, it is the responsibility of the educated people to solve the problems in the agricultural sector so that it can produce productive citizens and provide knowledgeable policy options to the government. And it is important to establish university forums like Awash and Wabi Shebele basins in order for higher education institutions to achieve the growth and prosperity of our country in a coordinated manner.
The establishment of the forum will enable the water resources of the basin to be utilized properly as well as enable extensive and integrated research to benefit the people in the basin.
Prof. Afework Kasu, State Minister of Science and Higher Education said, “the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is our Ethiopians dam, because it is originating and constructing on our sovereign land and the moneys from our pocket, we build the dam to get away from poverty.”
The State Minister also said that it should be the responsibility of scholars to take the lead in public diplomacy by regularly discussing and consulting on the dam and sharing accurate information about the dam, and “As citizens of a liberal country, we need to convey our knowledge of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is the backbone of Ethiopia’s development and prosperity, to the world in a knowledgeable and truthful manner, without bowing down to foreign pressure and harming others,”.
Finally, the people who attended the forum’s founding conference planted seedlings at Haramaya University main campus.