SOUTH, NATION, NATIONALITIES AND

PEEOPLES REGIONAL STATE

URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION

BUREAU

URBAN PLANNING INSTITUTE, URBAN PLAN STUDY

AND RESEARCH DIRECTORATE

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF BELE AWASSA TOWN

STRATEGIC PLAN

BY: BEKELE BOGALE,

January/2023

Bele Awassa
 CHAPTER NINE

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF BELE AWASSA STRATEGIC PLAN

9.1. Introduction.

Human beings are highly dependent on the environment for their sustenance since their survival
is reliant on the earth and its environment. To survive, human beings exploit their surrounding
environment. Without air, land and water there might not be or is no way for human beings to
keep living on the earth. However, even if environment is the life base of human beings, they
became a threat for the environment since the over exploit their surrounding which in turn leads
to environmental degradation. And this environmental degradation which is caused by humans
themselves becomes a great threat for human beings and other living things.

The increment of population living in urban centers and the outward expansion of urban centers
by altering agricultural productive and fertile and forested land into built environment has
resulted in irreversible environmental degradation.

The unwise exploitation of the natural environment has created or brought serious challenges and
great threat to natural resource base and one of the major threats to the environment is
urbanization.

Urban environments are a complex environment which is incorporate natural environmental

components and manmade elements which might have both positive and negative consequences
on the natural environment. Since urban centers are engines of a country’s economy they are
sophisticated with various and complicated socio-economic activities which attract an extensive
amount of people for better job opportunity and better quality of life

Environment As urban areas play vital roles in socio-economic development of local, regional
and national entities and productive areas are essential to ensure integrated development that
promotes the socio-economic well-being of citizens. Environmental planning contributes towards
these broader goals through the identification and prioritization of environmental issues, and
formulation of issue-specific strategies and projects.
Accordingly, key environmental issues have been identified and appropriate recommendations as
regards the strategies to be adapted for Bele Awassa. The key environmental issues addressed
include waste management and environmental pollution, energy, green spaces, natural resources
and natural hazards. Bele Awassa has been expanding at different direction to its peri-urban
areas. This expansion is evident in Dada Kare and Fajena Matta side of the town. People are
altering forest land in to residential land use. People informally purchase land from the
surrounding peasants and built houses and other facilities. This in turn has brought considerable
environmental degradation. Taking this into consideration the environment team of Bele Awassa
structural plan preparation attempted to assess what impact urbanization has really brought to the
environment in Bele Awassa Town.

9.2. Urbanization and Urban Environment.

The large concentration of people in the town is resulted in a huge environmental degradation. In
other words, the high rate of urbanization is affecting the environment and resulting in
agricultural and forest land disruption and expansion of unlawful resident. The evident
environmental effect of urbanization in this town can be expressed in terms of deforestation, land
slide, extensive amount of liquid and solid waste generation, water, air and land pollution and
tumbling of green areas. This environmental degradation is caused by increased human
habitation, accelerated energy and resource consumption and landscape modification.

The rapid and uncontrolled urbanization has brought housing shortage, poverty, environmental
violence, climate change, water scarcity and pollution and deforestation due to ever increasing
population growth. And this problem is evident in Bele Awassa. And there is extensive poverty
and housing shortage. This shortage of proper housing and prevalence of poverty is resulted in
lack of access to better sanitation and waste collection as well as poor sewage facility which in
turn become public health and environmental threat

9.3. Global Climate Change and Urbanization.

As outlined by Rai (2017: 128) the air of urban areas get polluted due to a lot of anthropogenic
activities, flying of large number of automobiles, industries etc. Human activities emit pollutants
like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulphur, hydrocarbons,
vapors of organic compounds, particulates, and toxic metals etc. which are capable of polluting
air and bringing a number of health hazards. In addition to this, according to Rai the unplanned
construction of high rise buildings in urban areas absorbs solar radiation and, in the afternoon,
these emit heat radiations increase the climatic pressure. Cities often receive more rain than the
surrounding countryside since dust can provoke the condensation of water vapor into rain
droplets. According to Tah & Ghosh (2015: 116) in recent years there has been an increasing
concern towards the problem of air pollution. Air pollution is of great immediate concern than
any other aspects of pollution. Human being can live without food and water for days, but they
can stay without air only for five minute. Industrial pollution has a great effect in changing the
physical, chemical and biological characteristics of not only air but also water and soil due to the
release of pollutants from industries. Pravitasari (2015: 40) asserted that human activities release
a wide range of emissions into the environment including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide,
ozone, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and many other pollutants. Air pollution results from over-
dependence on motorized transport and from burning of coal to supply energy.

Pravitasari (2015: 40) described that the water quality has also degraded with time due to
urbanization that ultimately leads to increased sedimentation there by also increasing the
pollutant in run-off. Water pollution results from poor sewage facilities and disposal of industrial
heavy metals into waterways. The public health effects due to urbanization such as poor
sanitation; pollution caused by effluents, smoke, and smog; fire hazards due to use of flammable
material and proximity/congestion; and epidemics due to spread of communicable diseases
caused by contaminated water. Uttra, Bhuvandas & Aggarwal (2010: 1639) articulated that
Natural vegetation and undisturbed soil are replaced with concrete, asphalt, brick, and other
impermeable surfaces. This means that, when it rains, water is less likely to be absorbed into the
ground and, instead, flows directly into river channels. Higher, faster peak flows change streams
channels that have evolved over centuries under natural conditions. Flooding can be a major
problem as cities grow and stream channels attempt to keep up with these changes. As stated by
Tah& Ghosh (2015: 118) since the pollution of surface water changes the physical and
psychological nature of water, it can have serious impact on the quality of human life. Release of
sewage from domestic and industrial effluents including organic wastes causes the turbidity and
color of water. In addition to air and water pollution, urbanization has a tremendous impact on
the land resources.
Rai (2017: 128) explained that as a result of high population density and expensive life, the rate
of consumption of natural resources (e.g. water, energy, fossil fuel, forest products etc.) is very
high in urban areas. In addition to the over consumption, there is also mis-utilization of natural
resources. Few acute problems of urban areas are scarcity of drinking water especially the
ground water, scarcity of forest products, power cut due to excessive use of electricity etc. in
light of this, Gutti et al.(2012: 95) stated that natural resources exploitation, exploration, mining
and processing have caused different types of environmental damages which comprise ecological
disorder, devastation of natural flora and fauna, contamination of air, water and land, instability
of soil and rock masses, landscape degradation, desertification and global warming. This
environmental damage has in turn resulted in waste of arable land as well as economic crops and
trees.

Gutti et al. (2012) also added that if the natural resources must be developed, both the
government and the natural resource industry must be involved in taking precautionary and
remedial measures that can minimize the ill-effects of natural resources exploitation. Emphasis
should shift from waste disposal to waste minimization through sorting, recycling,
bioremediation, afforestation, sewage treatment and pollution control, while the government
should provide the regulatory legislation with appropriate sanctions or where these regulatory
bodies already exist, the enforcement of laws and policy implementation is of paramount
importance. The oil and gas industries, mining companies and other natural resources
exploitation bodies are expected to carry out mandatory precautions, remedies or compensation
for damage done.

Rapid urbanization can result in very high levels of erosion and sedimentation in river channels.
Pollutants are often dispersed across cities or concentrated in industrial areas or waste sites.
Lead- based paint used on roads and highways and on buildings is one such example of a widely
dispersed pollutant that found its way into soil (Uttra, Bhuvandas& Aggarwal, 2010: 1639).With
this respect Abotutu and Ohwo (2015: 216) several studies have identified industrial and
agricultural activities, indiscriminate waste disposal and oil spills as major causes of land
pollution. In urban areas, there are more concentrations of industrial activities and high level of
waste generation, coupled with poor disposal and management which increases the probability of
land pollution. For instance, the World Health Organization as cited in Abotutu and Ohwo (2015:
216) stated that almost all industrial activities cause some pollution and produce waste.
However, relatively few industries without pollution control and waste treatment facilities) are
responsible for the bulk of the pollution.

9.4. Ethiopian Urbanization and Urban Environment.

9.4.1. Basic Concepts of Urbanization

To say a country or region is urbanizing implies that it is becoming more urban. Urbanization
refers to a broad-based rural-to-urban transition involving population, land use, economic
activity and culture, or indeed any one of these. Thus, it is frequently used to refer to changes in
land-use for specific areas (usually on the periphery of urban concentrations) as this land
becomes ‘urbanized’ and is sold and developed for urban use (e.g. the sale of plots for housing).
And the shift in population from rural to urban settlements involves a shift to more dense
settlement patterns; whereas the shift from rural to urban land use is increasingly the result of
shifts to less dense urban settlement patterns.

Rai (2017: 127) defined urbanization as a general increase in population and the amount of
industrialization of a settlement, and it represent the movement of people from rural to urban
areas. Similarly, Nsiah-Gyabaah (2003: 2) stated that rapid urbanization is an in outward
expansion of the built-up area, converting prime agricultural land into residential and industrial
uses. It also leads to the construction of high-rise buildings and vertical commercial development
in specific zones. UNHABITAT et al. (as cited in Simms 2008: 2) also explained that
urbanization is the process by which cities and towns develop and grow into larger areas, and it
includes the movement of people from rural to urban areas as well as movements among towns
and cities.

9.4.2. History of Urbanization

It has been estimated that before the start of the 19th Century only 3% of the world’s population
lived in towns of over 500. At the present time the figure is probably about 40%. Urban center
have existed and have been evolving for many centuries across the world. However, the
accelerated growth of urbanization is relatively a recent phenomenon (Hall 1973). As stated by
United Nations World Population Prospects (2015) urbanization is not a new phenomenon, but
the process took on a whole new dimension in the 20th century. We are witnessing a historic
transformation of human social roots on a global scale. Ancient rural cultures are replaced by the
complex environments of diverse megacities, with millions of inhabitants. The first major change
in settlement patterns was the accumulation of hunter-gatherers into villages many thousand
years ago. Village culture is characterized by common bloodlines, intimate relationships, and
communal behavior. Urban culture is characterized by distant bloodlines, unfamiliar relations,
and competitive behavior.

Ethiopian Civil Service University (2014) described that the relevant history of urbanization can
be divided into three main periods. The earliest or first period started with cities that were began
with the advent of settled agriculture and domestication of plants and animals 10,000BC and it
is continued till 1800AD. During this period the level of urbanization was around 10 %. Not
more than tens of thousands of people lived in early period cities and most of those cities were
defensive walls and within a walking distance.

Ethiopian Civil Service University outlined that the transition into the second period began at the
end of 18th Century with the out broke of scientific and technological revolution which set in
motion a serious of persistent, irreversible, mutually supportive and long lasting transformation.
With this respect Chen et.al (2014: 2) stated that urbanization began during the Industrial
Revolution, and refers to the increasing number of people that live in urban areas. Urbanization
is not only about a simple increase in the number of urban residents, but also involves a series
change from rural to urban styles in terms of industry structure, employment, living conditions,
and social public services. Economic growth is the increase in the value of goods and services
produced by a country or regional economy over time.

Similarly, Ethiopian Civil Service University acknowledged that during this period, there was a
consistent increase in real income. There was urban transport revolution. The end of the second
period of urbanization was marked in 2010 AD, and the world population was 6.9 billion, and
half of it was accommodated in urban centers. The third period or urbanization started with a
slower world population growth rate of 1.2% per year, and the rate is expected to decline to less
than 0.1% by 2100. The world population is projected to grow to 8.2 billion by 2025 (United
Nation Population Division as cited in Ethiopian Civil Service University 2014). The history of
urbanization in Ethiopia goes back to the Axumite civilization. During this time there were a
number of towns, commerce had flourished countries. Later, this urban culture began to shift
Lalibela and Gondar.

9.4.3. Trends of Urbanization in Ethiopia

Ethiopia, being the second popular country in Africa is one of the least urbanized countries. In
Ethiopia, urban population is concentrated in one primate city of Addis Ababa (Fessusu and
Getachew 2002). The level of urbanization of Ethiopia, compared to other African countries, was
about half of that of Kenya, a third of that of Nigeria and 57% lower than the average for sub-
Saharan Africa as a whole, roughly during the same period (World Bank as cited in Samson &
Tiwari 2012: 68). The trend of urbanization for earlier periods in Ethiopia depicts still lower
rates: 11.4% in 1984, 9.5% in 1975, and 5.4% in the late 1930s. Currently, the proportion of
urban population is 17.6% with a growth rate of 4.7% per year (CSA 2008 as cited in Samson &
Tiwari 2012: 68). Moreover, the Ethiopian urbanization illustrates unbalanced distribution of
urban population. Industrial activities and infrastructural facilities are concentrated in the capital
city, Addis Ababa, which is the main administrative, economic, and financial center.

9.4.4. The Impact of Urbanization on the Environment

Urbanization happens because of the increase in the extent and density of urban areas. Due to
uncontrolled urbanization, environmental degradation has been occurring very rapidly and
causing many problems like land insecurity, worsening water quality, excessive air pollution,
noise and the problems of waste disposal (Rai 2017: 127). Yang et.al. (2014: 7051) explained
that urbanization has a great impact on the vegetation coverage, and it has resulted in the
increment of extreme heat events in frequency and intensity. Besides, urbanization has brought
degrade air quality and increased health risks for inhabitants of urban areas, and motor vehicles
emission is one of the major sources of pollution

According to Rai (2017: 128) the high magnitude of the urban population, haphazard and
unplanned growth of urban areas, and a desperate lack of infrastructure have a great impact on
the environment. The rapid growth of urban population both natural and through migration, has
put heavy pressure on public utilities like housing, sanitation, transport, water, housing,
sanitation, transport, water, electricity, health, education, and so on. Besides, poverty,
unemployment and under employment among the rural immigrants, beggary, thefts, burglaries
and other social evils are on happening on a continuous manner. Moreover, urban sprawl is
rapidly encroaching the priceless. All these growth have a great impact on the environment,
space and the quality of people’s life. When this is supported by the poor provision of
infrastructural facilities required to support a large concentration of population, as a
consequence, the urban environment is deteriorating very rapidly.

Pravitasari (2015: 39-40) declared that due to uncontrolled urbanization, environmental

degradation has been occurring very rapidly and causing many problems. The most emerging
issues are climate changes, freshwater scarcity, deforestation, and fresh-water pollution because
of raising population growth. In relation to the issue on climate changes, urbanization can
contribute on the creation of urban heat island (Park as cited in Pravitasari 2015). Urbanized
areas have much more building and another urban land use which consists of materials like
concrete, asphalt, bricks, etc. which absorb and reflect energy differently than vegetation and
soil. Cities remain warm in the night when the countryside has already cooled. Urban activities
also give bad effect on changing the air quality. Urbanization also gives negative effects on land
and water resources. Wastes are a major problem in large cities. Vast quantities of solid waste
are produced in industries. Rapid urban development can result in very high levels of erosion and
sedimentation in river channels, especially in urbanized areas. The adverse effects of
urbanization not only erosion and other changed in land quality, but also pollution. Pollutants are
often dispersed across cities or concentrated in industrial areas or waste sites since people
sometimes burying tremendous amounts of waste in the ground at municipal and industrial
dumps.
9.5. Policy Interventions of Ethiopian Urbanization in Relation to
Environmental Protection.

The policy frame work of Ethiopian government also based on Constitutional Provisions. Ethiopians’
environmental laws have a constitutional basis as per articles 92.1 and 92.2 (the Constitution of the
EFDR, 1987E.C)
Article 92.1: “Government shall endeavor to ensure that all Ethiopians live in a clean
and healthy environment”;
Article 92.2: “Government and citizens shall have the duty to protect the environment”
However, the rapid increase in garbage and wastes accumulation which negatively influences
management of solid wastes in the Ethiopia towns’. Therefore to minimize risks associated with this,
implementing sound solid waste management strategy is unquestionable in towns. Proclamation No.
295/2002, provides for the establishment of Environmental Protection Council and
Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) at the federal and regional levels, with the main
purpose of inspecting and follow up of environmental considerations in the overall
developmental process as well as to provide appropriate advice, and to review and approve
directives, guidelines and environmental standards. Proclamations no. 299/2002 on
Environmental Impact Assessment, no. 300/2002 on Environmental Protection and Control, no.
197/2000 on Water Resources Management, no. 456/2005 on national Rural Land
Administration and Use are among the proclamations that are relevant to the management of
industrial pollution. Moreover, Ethiopia has ratified international conventions on natural
resources and environmental management (i.e., Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) through Proclamation No. 14/1970, Framework Convention on
Climate Change through Proclamation No. 97/1994, Convention on Biological Diversity through
Proclamation No. 98/1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification through
Lia, September 12, 2017 153 | P a g e Proclamation No. 80/1997, the Cartagena Protocol on Bio-
Safety to the Convention on Biological Diversity through Proclamation No. 362/2003). The
federal EPA is designated as the focal point for the implementation of the above conventions.
9.6. Solid Wastes Management System
9.6.1. Introduction
The rapid urbanization that has been taking place during the 20th century and towns facing similar
challenges on environmental issues (Smith, 2010). Among those environmental issues solid waste
management is a critical one because as long as humans have been living in settled communities, solid
waste generation has been an unavoidable and critical issue both in developed and developing nations.
Solid waste management became a worldwide agenda at united nation conference on environment and
development in Riodejieneiro in 1992. A great emphasis of Riodejieneiro conference on reducing wastes
and maximizing environmentally sound waste reuse and recycling at first step in waste management
(UNEP,1996).

The environmentally acceptable management of municipal solid waste (MSW) has become a
global challenge due to limited resources, increasing population and rapid urbanization
throughout worldwide.
In our world 3% of the world greenhouse effect sourced from municipal solid and liquid waste
source. From them like methane, carbon dioxide etc. some of the major gasses types. In our
surrounding environment 50% methane gasses which is emitted to our surrounding is from
different solid waste dumping sites.(Source:- Federal Urban Development and Hosing
Buero,Yekatit,2009 E.C).
In the future to reduce in meaning full way the methane gasses which is sourced from
decomposed waste disposal site applying reuse and recycling the waste. In addition by
collecting the methane gas which is generated from solid waste disposal site has to start using
for energy source is to in the cities.
The policy frame work of Ethiopian government also based on Constitutional Provisions.
Ethiopians’ environmental laws have a constitutional basis as per articles 92.1 and 92.2 (the
Constitution of the EFDR, 1987E.C)
Article 92.1: “Government shall endeavor to ensure that all Ethiopians live in a clean
and healthy environment”;
Article 92.2: “Government and citizens shall have the duty to protect the environment”
 However, the rapid increase in garbage and wastes accumulation which negatively influences
management of solid wastes in the Ethiopia towns’. Therefore to minimize risks associated with
this, implementing sound solid waste management strategy is unquestionable in towns.

The town has no manageable solid waste disposal site. Waste is thrown on the road side everywhere in
the town particularly at the center in front of public bus station, especially solid wastes of fruits of Banana
and mango. As the result the main asphalt road side ditches are completely clothed by wastes.

The town has unplanned and unmanaged open solid waste disposal site at around open market
and any corner of the town. The disposal site is being poorly managed. On the other hand the
existing solid waste disposal site is already allocated in the hinter city which needs relocation of
the site from the existing area.

Existing Solid Waste Disposal Site of Bele Awassa Town Around Primary
Hospital on the way of Mashinga

Therefore, an open dumping a waste disposal method which is simple and inexpensive is recommended
for the town. Accordingly, taking in to account different location criteria, the most feasible area
recommended for waste disposal the area beyond the existing abattoir place.

 It is advised to be located in the urbanization control area that can comply with the prevailing wind
over the town.
  Poor waste management can be a common manifestation of the town.
 Solid waste can be seen as a major problem and seen everywhere in the town.
Source of Solid waste
The town has a production of an enormous amount of solid waste generation. The following are
the major sources of solid waste of the town.
A, Market Place

 Poor waste management system

 Absence of container for solid waste at nearby distance
 The existence of large amount of agricultural wastes during market days

B. Waste from commercial institutions

Due to the smaller number of bars, hotels, restaurants etc, in the town wastes from commercial institution
is very small. However, due to poor waste management techniques, the existing commercial institutions
generate enormous waste daily.

C. Waste from individual house

The domestic wastes generated from individual house include

 vegetable and fruit leftover,

 Ash,
 animal residue,
 Plastic, textile, paper etc.
 Among the above solid waste types, the share of agricultural wastes and animal residue are the
highest.

The following are the problems of domestic waste

 Most of the residence don’t have their own landfill site within their compound
 There is no temporal waste transfer site,
 There is lack of awareness about environmental pollution,
 The majority of the resident dispose the solid waste on roadsides.
 There is no segregation, reduction reusing and recycling activities in the city.
 There is no cost recovery system for the solid waste management processes.

One of the main other causes for problem in relation to solid waste is the illegal damp site in the town. At
present there are numerous informal disposal sites

The illegal dumping sites of the town include.

  The market area like the competition market of chat.
 Bus station area
 Along the street

E. Mitigation Measures
To meet the problems of solid waste the following measures are recommended
• Encouraging the existing association and disposal system.

Laska City Municipal Solid Wast Disposing Cart. LaskaCity Municipal Solid Wast Disposing Tractor.

• Prepare public awareness raising forum at different time about environmental problem
• Purchasing at least one solid waste dumping truck in the long run and use local transport means
like carts and tractors.
• Purchasing at least 5 containers and place them in major sources such as market place hotels, chat
exchanging place etc.

9.6.2. Identified Problems

The study results of the solid waste management system of the municipal of Bele Awassa Town
has lacks a number of problems attributed to the unorganized & unmanaged scientific solid waste
management systems such as:

 From the total of solid wastes generated in the town most of the solid wastes generated
remain uncollected properly.
 Absence of managed disposal site.
 Indiscriminate collection & disposal of solid wastes,
 Absence of waste nature classification and characterization,
 Absence of retrieval facility,
 Absence of transfer sites,
 The utilization system is tradition than scientific without sorting system.
 Absence of Solid Waste Treatment Facility,
 Shortage of short-lived and long-lived solid waste storage facilities and modern
transportation logistics like skip loader, damp tracker and tractors rather than five donkey
pulled carts,
 Insufficient MSE associations and employs participated in solid waste management,
where the existing are only five associations and 20 workers,
  In efficient budget allocation for solid waste management,
 Lack of sufficient organizational frame work and skilled & unskilled human power
arrangement from City municipal to kebele and disposal site,
 In sufficient coordination of private sectors, NGOs, MSE associations and the community
at large,
 Absence of municipal landfill,

9.6.3. Based on the Solid Waste management Analysis Planning

solutions for solid waste management of Bele Awassa Town.

Transfer Site Selection

1. Allocate one transfer sites in each kebele in the appropriate places

2. The town should have solid waste disposal sanitary land fill on this newly preparing plan
on the site around north east direction of on the way to Bayra- Koysha (Beklo Segno or
Gale Wargo) road, due to the main wind direction blowing from SW of Gibe-3 artificial
lake to NE.

9.6.4. Based on the solid waste management Administrative solutions for solid
waste management of Bele Awassa Town.
 Strengthen institutional and organization set up,
 Allocate appropriate logistics such as skip loader, tractors…..
 Strengthen inter municipal and stockholders coordination
 Enhance additional associations participation,
 Enhance private participation,
 Enhance NGOs participation,
 The Town of Bele Awassa needs detail study of integrated solid waste management
project proposals & resource mobilizations from house hold to land fill.
 Purchasing at least one cost effective solid waste dumping truck in the long run and
use local transport means like carts and tractors. Because purchasing Skip Loader is
expensive and time taking.
Like This

9.7. Liquid Wastes Management System

9.7.1. Introduction.

The town also has no liquid waste disposal site. Some of the problems in the town include;-.
 Absence of sewerage system
 Shortage of toilet
 Shortage of Public bath
 Absence of disposal site
Problems in relation to liquid waste

 Most hotels, bars and restaurants don’t have absence of their septic tanks.
  Shortage of public toilets and shower
 Absence of disposal site
 Absence of vacuum track for transport the waste
Recommendation

 Therefore, much attention should be given to educating the community. Further, the
following measures are recommended.
 Encouraging the residential houses and commercial institutions to prepare their own
toilet as well as septic tank
 Constructing at least public toilet and shower at major source areas such as around
market, commercial areas etc..
 Discouraging those individual disposing their wastes on informal places
 Preparing dumping site on the town near the proposed solid waste site.

9.7.2. Identified Problems

 Absence of sewerage system,
 Absence public of toilet,
 Shortage of Public bath,
 Absence of disposal site,
 Absence of vacuum track for transport the waste,
 Poor waste management of government & nongovernment organization like
universities etc..

9.7.3. Based on the above criteria forwarded for Liquid waste Planning
solutions for liquid management of Bele Awassa Town.
 Liquid waste disposal site should allocated around in the area proposed for solid waste
sanitary land fill above,
 Each Kebele should have about 2 public Toilet, Lateran and Bathing Room. As the result
appropriate places should be reserved in the new plan,
 The plan should preserve two public septic tank areas in each kebele to transfer liquid waste
materials through pipe line,
 The road set back should incorporate the liquid waste transfer pipe line construction and
installation areas.

9.7.4. Based on liquid waste management Analysis Administrative solutions

for Sanitation and Liquid waste management of Bele Awassa Town.
 Strengthen institutional and organization set up,
 Allocate appropriate logistics such as vacuum truck,
 Encouraging the residential houses and commercial institutions to prepare their own toilet
as well as septic tank,
 Constructing public toilet and shower at least 2 in each kebele of major source areas such
as around market, bus terminal, commercial areas etc.

9.8. Environmental Risks

9.1.1. Natural constraints of Bele Awassa Town

Degradation of green ecosystems: Degradation of ecological resources due to lack integrated

land use planning, indiscriminate farming activities, deforestation and lack of awareness caused
different environmental and climate change related problems. The deforestation might be for
different purposes such as for fuel energy demand, for construction wood materials demand, for
the farming expansion, and for land demand for housing construction. The wet lands and
agriculturally valuable urban land were also degraded and lost most of the case due to urban
development and expansion as there was not appropriate land use planning in the city. The river
streams were polluted by indiscriminate solid waste disposal into them and discharge of liquid
wastes into them. As there was no water shade management practices along the river banks and
buffers, their quality and quantity of water was rapidly decreasing time to time and the
previously existing spring waters along the rivers and nearby them also diminishing rapidly. The
many way degradation and destruction of natural ecological areas systems resulted in different
human and environmental health problems as well as increased and exacerbated the human and
environmental vulnerability to the climate change impacts. It caused to increase the urban heat
island and effects, resulted in the reduction of water quality and quantity and this in turn brought
about water related health and nutritional problems. The destruction of wetland and
agriculturally valuable urban land mainly due to lack of integrated urban land planning and
implementation commitments largely affected urban agricultural activities and products which in
turn severely affected the urban community food security, increased flooding risks in the
community and discouraged and negatively affected the local economy of the city.
Bele Awassa town now a day has faced serious environments problems. Some of the problems are natural
and the other is due to the intervention of human beings. The following are the major constraints of the
town.

 Deforestation /firewood &charcoal/and for construction purpose a number of trees

were cleaned without replacement Soil erosion (gully formation).

 Active soil erosion and land degradation is slightly constraint of the town. For
example some of the manmade and natural degradations can be seen in the
following picture.

Natural degraded land around Dimaye river Manmade Degraded Land of quarry site of 03 Kebele
9.8.2. Major Cause of Land degradation and Soil Erosion Wolaita Zone, Kindo koysha
Woreda.

 Almost absence of adequate open channel drainage networks along road sides;
 Therefore, flood protection /control structures like culvert/bridge water way
openings should be designed in this area.
Some of the major causes of soil erosion and Water pollution
include
 The mountainous nature and undulating slop associated with heavy rain fall,
 The land scape of the woreda characterized by land slid,
 Shortage of appropriate storm water drainage system,
 Intensive rainfall;
 Landscape of the Wolaita Zone, Kindo Koysha woreda is sloppy.
 Urbanization and associated cutting of trees for settlement and for other purposes
aggravate the situation.
 Solid and liquid wastes from individual house holds and business institutions.
 Due to the above factors the upper layer of the Soil in the eastern part of the town
has eroded and replaced by other soil transported from the high land areas.

9.8.3. Measures need to be taken to Avert the problem of Land degradation

and Soil Erosion

In order to mitigate the risk of the Gully erosion

A. Gabion
Gabions are large, multi-celled, welded wire or rectangular wire mesh boxes, used in channel revetments,
retaining walls, abutments, and check dams.

B. Purpose
Rock filled baskets, properly wired together, form flexible monolithic building blocks used for
construction of erosion control structures. Gabions are used to stabilize steep or highly erosive slopes.

C. Corrosion Resistance of Gabions

The wire mesh or welded wire used in gabions is heavily galvanized. For highly corrosive conditions, a
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coating must be used over the galvanizing.
 Needs Such a Treatment

D. Flexibility
An outstanding advantage of the gabion is its flexibility. This property is especially important when a
structure is on unstable ground or in areas where scour from waves or currents can undermine it.

E. Durability
Gabions are durable because they support plant growth, which develops a living coating for the wire mesh
and stones. Frequently, the wire basket is only needed for the first few years, because the voids between
the individual stones fill with soil, silt, and roots, which act as a bonding agent for the stones.

F. Strength
Steel wire baskets have the strength and flexibility to withstand forces generated by water and earth
masses. The pervious nature of the gabion allows it to absorb and dissipate much of the energy developed.
A compact gabion structure may remain long after a massive rigid structure fails.

G. Permeability
Hydrostatic heads do not develop behind the gabion wall. The wall is pervious to water and stabilizes a
slope by the combined action of draining and retaining. Drainage is accomplished by gravity and by
evaporation as the porous nature permits air circulation through the structure. Moreover, as plant growth
invades the structure, transpiration further assists in removing moisture from the backfill. This system is
much more efficient than weep holes in standard masonry walls.
 H. Economy
Gabion installations are more economical than rigid or semi-rigid structures for a number of reasons. The
following are among the more important ones.

 Little maintenance is required.

 Gabion construction is simple and requires no skilled labor. Preliminary foundation preparation is
unnecessary. The surface needs only to be reasonably level and smooth.
 Since gabions are porous, no costly drainage provision is required.

I. Landscaping
Because gabions permit the growth of natural vegetation and maintain the natural environment of the
area, they provide attractive and natural building blocks for decorative landscaping.

Steps of feeling the eroded place by Gabion

9.8.4. Identified Problems

 Seasonal flooding and erosion along the water catchment of Balliya & Dimaye rivers.
  A number of permanent and perennials tributaries between two rivers affected by gully and
sheet erosion and degradation.

9.8.5. Based on the Environmental Risk analysis Planning solutions for

Bele Awassa Town.
The main problem of flooding of the town from the upper coarse of around Zaba mountain to
lower course of the town or Gibe-3 artificial lake at the time of seasonal rain fall needs an
intervention of:
 The river catchments of Balliya, Dimaye and other dry catchments of the town should be
preserved as buffer and green with 50m left and right dimensions without any socio-
economic interventions except urban agriculture of permanent fruit plants afforestation
like Mango, Avocado, Orange & etc….
 Every gorges, swamps, degraded lands of the city should preserved and green with in
20m left & right side buffer,
 Any slope gradient above 7% should be preserved and green without any socio-economic
activity.

9.8.6. Based on the Environmental Risk analysis administrative solutions for

Bele Awassa Town.
 Eroded land should be protected and under taken a forestation and reforestation in rainy
summer season as long run solution. Additionally construction of Gabions, Culverts and
Check dams should be under taken as immediate solution,
 Different types of environmental protection projects intervention at Balliya & Dimaye
river catchment.
 Needs coordination & cooperation with Woliata Sodo University to mitigate
environmental risks

9.9. Urban Greenery and Green Component

9.9.1. Environmental Issues of Green Ecosystem & Green Component of Bele
Awassa Town
As the peculiar characteristics of South Ethiopia Green Environment nature Bele Awassa town is
gifted with natural green ecosystem and forests. The town also has enough nursery and seedling
sites. But lacks managed green ecosystem and green component development.
Bele Awassa Urban Park on the way of Galle Wargo.

Existing Green Ecosystem and Green Component of Bele Awassa Tow

How ever, the town lack of open space. The town lacks open spaces. The number of open spaces and
play grounds are very small as compared to the population of the town. However comparatively the town
has relative green parks and green ecosystem developments should be encouraged to scale up for the
future.

9.9.2. Identified Problems

There are 5 green areas in 4 kebeles with total coverage of about 15,418.5m² (1.5 hectare)
and all of these have certified with legal ownership site plan but the main problems are:
 The green areas are unevenly distributed,
 Insufficient with the spatial coverage of the city,
 Insufficient nursery sites for further plantation,
  Absence of linkage of nursery, urban agriculture with solid & liquid waste recycling
mechanisms.

9.9.3. Based on the Urban Greenery and Green Component analysis

Planning solutions for the Bele Awassa Town.

 Forest on the road of Gale Wargo and Zaba mountain should be preserved as big urban
forest and urban park of the city without any socio-economic intervention.
 The forests in different parts of the town and especially on the way of Mashinga should
preserved in new plan as city urban park.
 The Plan of the town should an appropriate composition of open spaces and green areas
as 40:30:30 ratio according to the newly ratified SNNPRG Improved Urban
Administration proclamation.
 The plan should preserve places of river side, gorges, naturally gifted green parks and
green ecosystem and marshy areas which is highly in-circled the city mentioned in the
above and eroded land areas in association with green development rather than leaving as
barren land and using for any another land use category.
 The plan should incorporate preserved urban parks, rather than environmental protection
so as to be served as eco-tourism hub (especially around Eco Lodge and Gibe-3 artificial
lake etc..)
 Eroded land should be protected and under taken a forestation and reforestation in rainy
summer season as long run solution.
 Enough space for sport Fields and play grounds in relation to the coming ten years youth
population projection.
 The size on new plan should incorporate appropriate road medians, road shoulders and
quarters green development.
 Space for City plaza and areas and its green development.
 Appropriate space for urban agriculture especially fruit and cattle breading around all the
boundary of the city
  The plan should have spaces around private residence and government and non-
government organization for green development.
 The existing nursery site at 03 kebele should be relocated and to be shifted to SE
direction of the town around Balliya river. Therefore the new plan of the town should
allocate and incorporate another big nursery and seedling development sites in different
dimensions of Balliya & Dimaye rivers catchment.

Existing Nursery at 03 kebele Site with inefficient performance and

recommended to be relocated

9.9.4. Based on the Urban Greenery and Green Component analysis

administrative solutions for the Bale Awassa Town.
 The city administration should seriously follow enforcement Ethiopian environmental laws &
regulation to mitigate deforestation on the above explained urban forest and at Zaba mountain.
 The city administration should strictly and continuously follow the Ethiopian Green Legacy of
afforestation & re afforestation on areas environmentally protected, conserved & preserved land
skep in the new plan.
 The city municipality land development & management directorate should prepare legal land
holding site plan of any green components & transfer the ownership right to the responsible
organs.
9.10. Environmental Pollution of Bele Awassa Town
9.10.1. Policy Interventions of Ethiopian Urbanization in Relation to
Environmental Protection.
 The policy frame work of Ethiopian government also based on Constitutional Provisions.
Ethiopians’ environmental laws have a constitutional basis as per articles 92.1 and 92.2
(the Constitution of the EFDR, 1987E.C),
 Article 92.1: “Government shall endeavor to ensure that all Ethiopians live in a clean
and healthy environment”;
 Article 92.2: “Government and citizens shall have the duty to protect the environment”

9.10.2. The existing abbatial service of slaughter house of Bele Awassa.

An Abbatial service slaughter house of Bele Awassa town is currently located in the inner city
 It is located in the hinter land of the town open market and residence area which brings
pollution .

 It disturbs the residents with noise pollution of bad smell, snift and security due
distrubance of residents by scabengers like hayna, dog and others

 There fore it is recommended to be relocated in the new strategic plan of the town to west
direction of mashinga way..