View of the China-aided Addis Ababa Riverside Green Development Project 

Walking in the Sheger Park Friendship Square of Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is like strolling in a green paradise. Gentle piano music wafts through the air. Beaming newlyweds pose for photographs beside a glittering artificial lake. Families donning traditional white shawls wander through a botanical garden. When the sun sets, a spectacular display of water fountains erupts to rapturous applause.  

The square, part of the China-aided Addis Ababa Riverside Green Development Project, otherwise known as the Beautifying Sheger Project, is China’s first overseas park construction project. Constructed by CCCC First Highway Engineering Group Co. Ltd. (CFHEC), a subsidiary of the Chinese construction giant China Communications Construction Co. Ltd. (CCCC), in just 11 months, the area that was used as a waste dump before has been transformed into Africa’s largest comprehensive urban square.    

Chinese engagement  

At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China will work with Africa to pursue green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable development and protect our lush mountains and lucid waters and all living beings on our planet.     

Initiated by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019, the China-aided Beautifying Sheger Project, also known as Friendship Square Project, is an important chapter in the green cooperation between China and Ethiopia.  

During the construction, CFHEC overcame various unfavorable factors such as difficulties in material sourcing, epidemic prevention and control, and climatic conditions, and completed the new landmark.    

Afomia Solomon, advisor for the Beautifying Sheger Project in the Addis Ababa City Government, said the main purpose of the project is to clean the river and also to develop the riverside areas in the city. The project has opened up green spaces in a city that is increasingly craving for a clean environment.    

“It is amazing to see how a project can be completed in such a short period of time with this high quality,” Solomon said.     

Green shift    

At the foot of the Office of the Prime Minister in Addis Ababa, the river bank was once used as a garbage dump by the locals due to the neglect of river management, the growth of weeds on the surface, and the accumulation of domestic and industrial waste.    

However, after renovation, the square now contains an artificial lake, a plaza that can accommodate tens of thousands of people at a time, several restaurants and gyms, an art garden, a gallery and a musical fountain. The park provides jogging routes and a peaceful place to relax.    

The project and its landmark Sheger Park Friendship Square recreational avenue brings a whole new experience for many Addis Ababa residents who wish to have a fun, and serves an exciting venue for kids.   

Sheger Park Friendship Square serves as a natural outdoor oxygen bar for local residents

Aziza Nuru, a first-time visitor to the Sheger Park Friendship Square, was delighted to have in Addis Ababa a recreational venue comparable to those she has visited elsewhere in the world.    

“I have only seen such a beautiful place in Dubai. This one is in Addis Ababa, which means I can come here with my family any time,” Nuru said 

Besides, the project also brings economic benefits such as tourism revenue and employment. During the construction period, the project created jobs for nearly 2,500 locals, and drove the growth of local Ethiopian companies in the industrial chain.  

At present, the park receives an average of 500 visitors per day. It also employs nearly 400 people in park management, catering, greening, and wedding photography.  

Technological support     

Addis Ababa is located on a plateau at an altitude of 2,400 meters. After quantitative research on the geographic conditions of the city, it was found that its ability to withstand climate change is weak and its ecological environment is relatively fragile.    

During the construction period, special attention was paid to ensure that no damage was done to the ecology. In fact, the project improved local ecological environment in the end.     

Water pollution in the river has always been a problem that plagued Addis Ababa. In order to completely solve the sewage problem and realize the sustainable and clean utilization of the river water, CFHEC introduced new materials and new technologies, the first for Ethiopia and even the whole of East Africa.     

The company undertook 1.2 km of river treatment, and built a new one-stop sewage treatment plant with a semi-underground structure. Compared with the traditional sewage treatment plants in Ethiopia, it occupies a smaller area and has higher efficiency.     

In addition, the project has given wildlife a new home. The city is the habitat of many wild animals. However, the eight-month dry season in Ethiopia poses a threat to the survival of wild animals. For this reason, the project designed an artificial lake to create moisture in the surrounding area, and introduced new waterproof and breathable materials during the construction process, which ensured normal circulation of the micro-ecosystem in the lake. Now, even in the prolonged dry season, wildlife has a safe place to rest, with nearly a hundred species of birds living here.  

A Chinese technician from CFHEC instructs local employees 

Sustainable development    

In the park, visitors can find more than 80 kinds of plants, including 5,600 local rare trees of more than 40 species such as Araucaria. During the construction period, due to the lack of professional greening and seedling companies in Ethiopia, finding seedlings within the limited construction period was a thorny problem. The project engaged a professor of landscaping at a local university, and trained 150 people to obtain seedlings.     

In order to continuously consolidate the local greening progresses, the project specially built a greenhouse, and hired Chinese landscaping experts to introduce Chinese greenhouse cultivation technology, which is widely praised by the local government and people.    

Besides, the Chinese side made efforts to enhance the technical level of local employees. CFHEC put in place a mature training mechanism for the project. With more and more local employees gaining professional skills, the company came to be known as “Addis Ababa Technical School” among the local people.