[WLRC June 2024]: Water and Land Resources Centre (WLRC), in collaboration with the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), organized a training workshop on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) from June 18th to 20th, 2024 at Inter Luxury Hotel in Addis Ababa. The training workshop was specifically designed for stakeholders who will be involved in the implementation of the Basin Management Support for Resilient Inclusive Growth and Harmonized Transformation (BRIGHT) Project meant to facilitate effective implementation of the National Integrated Water Resource Management Program (NIWRMP) in Ethiopia.
The main objective of the training was to build the capacity of stakeholders in conducting SEA before implementation of projects, considering not only the social and environmental impacts but also their contributions to sustainable and inclusive development. During the opening session of the training, Dr. Tena Alamirew, Deputy Director General of WLRC, emphasized the importance of assessing the environmental as well as social impacts of projects before implementation to prevent undesirable consequences and thereby contribute to strong sense of project ownership by local communities, which is a key requirement for ensuring sustainability of project outcomes.
The three-day training, facilitated by Ineke Steinhauer and Anna Chadarevian from NCEA, covered topics such as the meaning, application, and practicality of SEA in water management projects, techniques of undertaking SEA, and various case studies. Participants engaged in discussions and role-plays to design a trajectory for SEA implementation within the framework of the BRIGHT Project. The training emphasized that SEA ensures a shared vision of strategic issues, addresses the interests of all stakeholders, and facilitates decision-making by presenting and comparing options for stakeholders and project implementers.
The workshop participants were about 20 experts from the Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy; basin administration offices; regional Bureaus of Water and Energy, Irrigation and Lowlands, and Agriculture; and WLRC.
The BRIGHT Project, with its various components and work packages, is a crucial initiative to promote integrated and harmonized IWRM activities within the NIWRM Programme framework in Abbay, Awash, Rift Valley, Tekeze, and Omo-Gibe basins.
NCEA, as an independent body of experts, advises national and international governments on the quality of environmental assessment reports to support informed decision-making.