In an interview with The Ethiopian Herald Scientist Professor Shibru Tedla said to attain the aspirations of climate resilient green economy exploiting and exploring various renewable energy sources is the viable path towards sustainable development.
According to Professor Shibru, the efforts to harness its hydro, wind, geothermal and solar energy sources is well underway and should further be strengthened.
Hydropower is currently the main renewable energy source in the country, therefore sustainable conservation work has to be carried out through water shade management to protect the dam from silt resulted from devastating clearance of the wild vegetation cover and forests.
Prof. Shibru stated due to the non-availability of sufficient biomass for energy, farmers plant eucalyptus trees for household energy which could be harvested within seven years and this indicates that conservation work is not threatened.
The Professor said with regards to the affordability of renewable energy for the rural population that the national rural electrification program must not depend on stretching electric cable to each village and they should rather generate electric power from wind in the nearby areas which will be way more cost effective.
On the other hand, the urban dwellers prefer electric energy from biomass as it is cheaper and affordable.
He stressed the importance of the development of bioenergy from jatropha and other plants and with much care not to displace the crop by the cultivation of these plants. Therefore, he said the cultivation should be in barren and degraded lands.
