Integrated Hydro-communication of Abbay-Nile River Basin Stakeholders in Ethiopia and Its Role for Sustainable Management of the basin

Abstract

Post–Cold War developments in the sustainable management of transboundary river basins emphasized the importance of decentralized management and stakeholder communication more than ever. The same holds true for the Abbay-Nile River Basin. Hence, this article assessed how integrated hydro-communication among Abbay-Nile River Basin stakeholders in Ethiopia was carried out and identified its role in the sustainable management of the basin. Integrated hydro-communication refers to the involvement of stakeholders and the application of two-way verbal communication among them, focusing on strategic intent and a multitude of water issues in their own settings or through coming together. The paper employed a qualitative research approach. The constructivist research perspective, two-level games theory of international relations, participatory communication paradigm, and integrated communication of stakeholders in their respective importance were used as lenses to examine the case. The primary data were collected using in-depth interviews with purposively selected expert informants from regulatory organiza- tions, higher education institutions, and media houses, as well as through participant observations of conferences. Thematic qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the collected data. The findings show that integrated hydro-communication among Abbay-Nile River Basin stakeholders in Ethiopia took place in two forms: communication while stakeholders were in their respective settings and communication through coming together at common forums. Almost all informants believed that their respective organization was practicing integrated communication, but in most cases, each stakeholder criticized the others. Moreover, integrated hydro-communication among the stakeholders was largely limited to criticizing Egypt’s long-standing hegemony over the basin and justifying the measures Ethiopia has taken to construct the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Therefore, in order to achieve integrated hydro-communication at its best, stakeholders need to come together and set a communication strategy that recognizes and acknowledges their interdependence and works on a regular basis, focusing on the co-production and dissemination of knowledge to the public at different levels and occupations.