Control by Utilisation: Alien Water Hyacinth in the Northern Ethiopia

With over 30,000 hectares of Lake Tana covered by water #Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) (Derseh, et al. 2019), there is a huge ecosystem damage that could lead to drainage of the lake. The government, universities, research institutes, non-profit organisations, community institutions and individuals have been trying to remove the alien plant using chemicals, physical (manual and mechanical methods) and the likes. There are so many researches endeavoured to either easily remove the invasion or identify chemicals that can kill the weed including fungal pathogens. The commitments are highly appreciable. But is there any research for impact (action research) or any effort made to eradicate the invasion by utilisation?

An NGO called Farm Africa (https://www.farmafrica.org/) used to do several approaches to eradicate Prosopis juliflora, another invasive plant in Afar region of Ethiopia. A number of "research for impact" were carried out along with the communities/local government and experiences of other countries gathered to finally come up with the idea that control of the alien plant can only be done through utilisation. Because, the pastoralists are not ready to remove the tree 10 meters deep in the soil of the roots for no benefit. Farm Africa organised the communities in groups and cooperatives to produce charcoal and grinding of the pods to use them for livestock feed and fattening. Market linkages were facilitated by Farm Africa to expand sales of charcoal in Addis Ababa and the Middle East. Although some government officers and people from other places started to use other indigenous plants for charcoal which is against the attempts by Farm Africa, the issue has become an interesting agenda for the government, and regional/national policies of managing the tree through utilisation is well in progress.

Our country is not the only one that suffers alien plant species such as hyacinth that affect the ecosystem. Hyacinth is a major invasive plant in India. Universities and research centres got a hold that this water weed is becoming a source of income through producing organic fertiliser, growing mushrooms, ethanol, biomass briquettes, plates, paper, etc.

Any of the universities nearby (Gondar, Bahir Dar, Debre Tabor) could do action research which engages the communities, government and non-profit organisations to develop a strategy and policy that helps to control hyacinth through utilisation. It is important that the research for impact requires "theory of change" as a tool to set out a vision, identify pathways, and engage relevant stakeholders to replicate what has been successful in India. The research has to include inputs supply, production, storage, logistics and marketing. While doing the research, the existing activities of eradicating the weed should continue.