Eritrea is an arid and semi-arid country in the horn of Africa. Water deficit and desertification are the main challenges for the country. The following content briefly describes the current situation and reflects the sustainable development for the future.
Water deficiency
Rain-fed agriculture continues to be the means of food production in Eritrea which has never met the basic food demands of the country. The rainfall is irregular and varies heavily from year to year. About 70 – 80% of the population lives from agriculture and contributes around 25% of the country’s GDP (World Bank report). The bulk of the population has to rely on food assistance through aid in order to survive in periods when rainfall is scarce.
Traditional Eritrean farming has the potential to be improved by adapting agriculture technology particularly through irrigation systems . The development of water storage for use in irrigation systems will play a significant role in the future for the food production in Eritrea. Numerous studies have shown that sustainable water storage is impossible without soil, forest and biodiversity conservation. Several successful projects in water storage (e.g. micro-dams, drilling for ground water) and soil conservation have shown that sustainable development is achievable in practice. Affected farmers were trained to use irrigation systems and could improve their agricultural production.
Setting and maintaining standards for drinking water and thereforedeveloping facilities for sewage treatment is also another important issue. However, implementing a water supply for both needs requires technical improvements as well as consideration of the socio-economic impacts. Eritrea has about 190 micro-dams; most of them are located near the high lands. These are only sufficient for irrigation of around ten percent of potentially productive farmland.
Energy status and development
The energy sector plays a very substantial role in Eritrea’s development. According to the Eritrean Department of Energy 66% of the energy consumption in Eritrea comes from biomass such as wood, dung, and charcoal. The deforestation problem in Eritrea is strongly linked to the consumption of wood as fuel . In the last decades most of the forests in Eritrea have been destroyed; today Eritrea has less than 1% forest from 30 % just over a century ago .
Therefore, investments in the energy sector which would decrease biomass consumption or increase its production would have a strong impact on Eritrea´s future economic development andenvironmental resources . These impacts include the reduction of energy import expenses in the long term, positive effects on the national balance of payments, and the improvement of living standards and economic development which come with more widespread access to electricity. Eritrea has a great potential for the production of renewable energy sources such as solar , wind andgeothermal which could technically cover the large energy demand in the future.
Currently, several projects are underway, including the production of more efficient stoves (Mogogo) and improved power distribution to rural areas. The aim is the reduction of biomass consumption and increased access to electricity. Although there remains much to be achieved, w e believe that renewable energy programs, in combination with the optimization of the existing sources, may contribute to the development of Eritrea´s energy sector, the growth of the Eritrean economy, and mitigation of global climate change.