THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018 PAGE 2

National
WMO headquarters to move to Addis
BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
ADAMA— World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) Regional Office
for Africa (RAF) Headquarters situated
in Geneva Switzerland will move to Addis
Ababa in the coming year, Ethiopia
Nation Meteorological Agency announced.
WMO preferred Ethiopia to host its
head office in Africa among three other
contesting candidates namely South
Africa, Egypt and Nigeria among others.
Ethiopia was chosen to be the
headquarters of such international
organization due to its rich experience as
being the home of many regional and
international organizations, according to
National Meteorology Agency Director
General Fetene Teshome.
He also noted that Ethiopia has been
allocating resources and using latest
technology in collecting weather data for
many years apart from establishing 11
meteorological branch offices across
the country . “ So these and other criteria
has made the nation to be the base of
WMO.”
Since Regional Offices coordinate
technical and institutional support to
National Meteorological Hydrological
Services, and facilitate cooperation
between them. The RAF believed to be
equipped with qualified professionals
with valuable experience on weather and
water resources that in turn advance the
nation capability in gathering weather
information as well forecast activities.
WMO’s regional office in Addis Ababa
will serve the 54 African countries through
providing invaluable meteorological
information.
Pertinent stakeholders are working
on giving every necessary support for the
efficient functioning of the regional office.
The WMO First Congress (1951)
established six WMO Regions with related
Regional Associations (RAs). The
Regional Programme (RP) aimed at
facilitating a regional approach to the
implementation ofWMO Programmes
and activities, was first introduced by
Seventh Congress (1975). Meteorology

Ministry focuses on improving waste Agency

disposal mechanisms
BY TEWODROS KASSA
ADDIS ABABA- The focus must be
improving and modernizing waste disposal
mechanisms apart from strictly implementing
the law that ban the distribution of below
standard [thickness] polystyrene and other
plastic materials in a bid to maintain clean
and healthy environment,the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change
said.
Minister Gemedo Dalle (Dr.) reiterated
that it is restricted by law to sell, buy and
distribute below standard plastic materials.
But, the implementation of this directive
was not good enough to handle the
increasing quantity of plastics thrown away
at different public and private organizations,
he added.
Thus, to manage the unmanageable
plastics’ risk on humans ,it is important to
work focusing on improving waste disposal
mechanisms, according to him.
“Utilizing industrial outputs through
recycling is fundamental to ensure clean
and tidy environment while it supports
Ethiopia’s strives to succeed green
economy.”
Industrial factories should also fulfill
their corporate social responsibility of
keeping the environment free from pollution
undertaking waste treatment and recycling
plants, he emphasized.
Moreover, maintain a healthy
environment seeks the active participation
of every citizen and is also a responsibility
to contribute to the cleanliness of our
environment, he said.
Currently, the country is undertaking
massive Reppi 50 MW power generating
waste to energy recycling project
construction near to the city.
distributes
digital
residents’ ID
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
ADDIS ABABA – Over
4,967 fingerprint residential
Identification Cards (IDs) have
been distributed to residents
said Addis Ababa City Vital
Events Registration Agency.
As a pilot project, the
agency had delivered the ID
to 27 woredas and it has also
made the IDs to be available
in 91 woredas so far, Agency
Deputy Director General
Zeyneba Shikur told The
modern waste management

Hall restoration awaiting

Ethiopian Herald.
The agency is tirelessly
working to enable all residents
to have the digital ID which

qualified contractor
is believed to be easing the
previous time consuming
manual ID delivery system,
she said.
The digital ID is also
BY YOHANES JEMANEH helping to prevent crime as it
Cultural Programs Preparation and looking for contractors having announced using other opportunities. They have is very critical to control
Promotion Director and Acting Director the bid to maintain the hall which is been commissioning the center with forgeries through online
Absence ofcompetent local contr Genaral Walelign Belayneh told The expected to be in good shape until the valuable amount ofmoney from hall's identification, she noted.
actors has delayed renovation works on Ethiopian Herald. end ofAugust, he stated. rental service .”
the Ethiopian National Cultural Center's The center has not so far found local For the last 20 years, the center has On the other hand, the center is on “But the agency has faced
hall which has been hosted various contractors who are capable of been making using of the hall to present the way to construct a new building that problems including poor
national cultural programs, the center rehabilitating the hall which was and display its research, promotion and all the design and other activities have network access and lack of
disclosed. constructed by foreign company before development activities related to been finalized, he indicated. digital materials. However, it
For the last six months, the center has two decades, he said. Ethiopian Peoples, Nations and As to him ,the upcoming building is working on curbing the
been looking for qualified contractors to “The center itself does not have in - Nationalities’ culture and art, according would help the center to have problems through working in
carry out the renovations on the hall that house maintenance professionals that is to Walelign. multipurpose and modern cultural center one center to improve the
has seating capacity of over 1,000 people why it has failed to renovate the hall “We are also losing our customers that would serve to identify, promote network access and importing
as it has been out of use since last on time.” as those governmental and non- and develop various cultures and artistic the materials spending more
October because of heavy rain , Center However, the center has been still governmental organizations are now pieces ofthe country. than three million Birr.”
The city residents are very
Why high... interested and keen to have
the new digital ID card
appreciating the shortening of
and manufacturing hubs because such be well exploited, States should show Shashamane, Jigjiga ,Debre Berhan, According to her, the Nation should time to receive their ID, she
move has bad consequences like high commitment in putting place among others. work on persuading nation to relocate stated.
ending up with much illegal settlements. investment infrastructure and other The secondary city demand is not embassy and international non According to her, the
He also notes unable to have as social services with a view to shaping simply about place of residence, it rather government headquarters out of the Commercial Bbank of Ethiopia
many as secondary cities in the country and turning the urban migration into needs commitment in allocating capital. has provided its feedback
is tantamount to supporting livelihoods opportunity .” investment resources that could lead The secondary cities should rest on about the new ID saying it is
in slums and informal settlements and Urban Policy Researcher Bilen fair economic distribution, she says. well organized approaches. Unguided helping it to protect the bank
could lead to perpetuate long term Gebrsilase says : “ If the nation had “When we are looking at the trends urbanization could lead to affecting the from forgeries.
inequality and inter-generational owned secondary cities, Addis Ababa in relation to building and shaping natural environment and livelihoods, As the ID has feature
disadvantage, especially to women and should have shaped better in capital city worldwide , many have posing human and natural hazards to security system, it is actively
the youth. urbanization with established relocated their primate cities , for surface. helping institutions to easily
Stepping up efforts to build industrial approaches. example Brazil, Russia, Nigeria, “Addressing the challenges in identify criminals who engaged
parks and mega projects could pave Addis Ababa is found far from the Kazakhstan, Tanzania, Egypt, among organized schemes will help building in forgeries or in other means,
the way to own the secondary cities would be secondary cities of the nation others. We should at least develop our secondary cities in line with said the Deputy Director
across the nation, he says. like Adama, Hawwassa, Kombolcha, secondary cities till we could come sustainable development code and General.
“Such development activities should Jimmaa,Diredawa, Mekele, to switching the primate.” innovate approaches .”