INFLATION FURNACE


INFLATION FURNACE

Around Qera, a man cracks up a tiny bonfire in a spirited attempt to render the metallic wires malleable for reuse. Metal scraps became prized inputs after the Ministry of Mines ordered local steel manufacturers to source inputs from domestic markets as they bemoaned forex shortages. While the price of imported steel has relatively stabilised over the past year due to contraband flooding the market, most construction projects are in limbo due to an orientation towards tight monetary policy. Local steel manufacturers who require significant inputs for their production are working at a quarter of their capacity amid the cocktail of challenges.

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In-Picture

GREEN TRACKS

When city planners spoke of ‘greening' the transport system, few imagined it would take such a literal form. The Addis Abeba Light Rail Transit (AALRT), which began operating in 2015 as Sub-Saharan Africa's first inner-city light rail, now has pillars draped in climbing vines. The line carries the look of both an urban transit corridor and a set from Tarzan, offering commuters a curious blend of connectivity and wilderness...


In-Picture

FLOW FIX

The Filwuha River is finally getting the attention it's been patiently begging for. Its long-overdue facelift promises green, welcoming banks where city dwellers can escape the urban grind, once the dust settles and the construction noise stops auditioning for a rock concert. The river hums along, apparently resigned to sharing the spotlight with jackhammers and muddy boots. This isn't just a beautification project—it's an ambitious experiment in turning chaos into calm, and pipelines into Ins...


In-Picture

SHINE BREAK

Around Megenagna, Sitting on a massive drainage pipe laid along a rocky, unfinished stretch, young shoe-shine boys find a moment of respite amidst the mud and scattered buckets a small, human pause in the sprawling Addis Abeba Corridor Development Program waitng for their next customer. The infrastructure project, directed towards widening and modernising key arterial roads, has displaced communities and reshaped neighbourhoods, leaving workers, residents, and bystanders negotiating the uneasy i...