Rainwater in Ethiopia as A New Energy Resources. New Approach to Sustainable Development in the Mountain Area

Abstract

Rainwater harvesting can be not just the process of collecting, moving and the storing of rainwater for future use in the domestic area, offices or in the garden. Water collection can also be a process that can be used as one of the renewable energies sources. Ethiopia is the country where the rainwater in the mountain area is between 1270 to 1280 mille meter per year. Small-scale settlements integrated with irrigation technologies, especially micro irrigation, are still relatively new in Ethiopia - especially in connection with energy generation. The first part of the paper a water problem in Ethiopia is presented. Though the country s highland has excessive rainfall, its poorest harvesting method and improper water management challenges development of the society in their activity toward poverty alleviation. In other way when there is heavy rainfall that the Ethiopian highland exhibits, there is the downstream rivers pollution and soil degradation with turbidity that challenges the aqua lives. It also hurts the existing limited number of hydro power reservoirs those generating the hydropower for major cities in the country. The second part presents result of the research program undertaken at Wollega University with co-operation with the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin by authors. The program goes on to attempt to solve the problem through application traditional and new technologies. This study highlights the use of rainwater and the formation of terrain to generate energy for human settlements in mountainous areas. In conclusions emphasizes, If the implementation of water and energy resources development projects will be really successful, significantly to ensure food security, vegetables and other cash crops will be produced to increase incomes and improve nutrition, and the burden of women in collecting water will be reduced. A virtuous cycle is then possible to increase food. That the research program will force architects, engineers and urban planners to revise and redefine contemporary design process and understanding of sustainable design.