Chapter 578: Issues with Water Conservancy Construction
With matters related to the Southern Ryukyu Islands settled, this issue could be considered largely resolved. As for whether Japan would go back on its word, there was little concern at the moment. Though East Africa had withdrawn its ironclads and some ships from the Southern Ryukyu Islands, a small fleet centered around gunboats had been left behind.
This fleet wasn't particularly strong offensively, but it was sufficient for self-defense in the Western Pacific waters. The previous encirclement of the Southern Ryukyu Islands was mainly due to a lack of supporting vessels.
East Africa had deployed artillery batteries on the Southern Ryukyu Islands, but their operational range was limited, and they couldn't take the initiative or guarantee the safety of East African merchant ships. Now, with the small fleet in place, this concern was eliminated.
...
While matters concerning the Southern Ryukyu Islands had been settled, East Africa's large-scale water conservancy construction was stirring up a new wave of attention.
"Your Highness, with the implementation of our nationwide water conservancy construction projects, conditions in many regions have significantly improved, but some new problems have also emerged," reported Minister of Water Resources, Loire, to Ernst.
Ernst understood that it was probably nothing too serious. Human transformation of nature always has both pros and cons. But overall, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. Still, minor issues shouldn't be ignored—some matters required attention.
Ernst oversaw the broader strategic direction, but updates on progress and issues encountered in the projects needed to be regularly reported by his subordinates.
So Ernst said, "Speak freely about any problems."
Loire continued, "The first issue concerns the construction of medium- and large-scale reservoirs. These projects may encompass existing residential areas and agricultural lands, which creates conflicts. As a result, we need to relocate the affected residents or provide them with new land to compensate for the farmland that will be replaced."
This was easy to understand. East Africa's water conservancy efforts considered two main factors: one was to provide convenience and meet regional water needs, and the other—more importantly—was to ensure scientific and rational development.
To develop East Africa's water resources scientifically and rationally, one must take into account factors like timing, geography, and human relationships.
Given East Africa's terrain, water projects had to prioritize elevation. Previously, many settlers had settled directly along water sources without strategic planning. Now that East Africa was modifying those water sources, it naturally impacted the residents already settled there.
After thinking for a moment, Ernst said, "The projects must continue. Most of these water conservancy works will generate wealth for decades or even centuries. While it's still relatively easy to adjust things, we must do so in time and not leave trouble for future generations. We need a long-term perspective—let's not be overly cautious. Of course, the people must be properly relocated. We cannot position ourselves against the public in pursuit of national interests. Coordinate the efforts well. Over time, the public will come to understand the government's good intentions."
"Your Highness, we've also considered this. But apart from this issue, the next one is the opposite: some areas that were previously uninhabited or undeveloped have become livable due to water conservancy projects. Should we begin planning those areas and prepare to populate them?"
This touched on the other side of East Africa's water conservancy efforts. These projects were top-down initiatives rather than organically formed by local communities or governments. Many site selections for the projects were determined by water resource experts who had surveyed East Africa.
Some sites were in regions that East Africa had never developed or where migration had previously been unfeasible, but due to other favorable factors, they had become suitable for new water conservancy construction.
As a result, some project sites ended up in "uninhabited" zones. For example, a certain area in East Africa might lack water and thus remained undeveloped. But nearby, a river might run past a natural gully. Diverting water there could transform the land into an area suitable for farming or other purposes, thereby making it livable.
With that in mind, Ernst said, "For now, don't worry about immigration. Let's finish these construction projects first and plan afterward. It's like preparing for a banquet—it's better to have more tables and chairs than fewer. If more guests arrive, we'll be ready. If not, we can still handle it easily."
Of course, Ernst didn't mention another point: the primary labor force for these projects was composed of Black workers. For projects with no immediate visible benefits, sacrificing more Black laborers was deemed acceptable—but there was no need to say this out loud.
Moreover, once completed, these projects wouldn't lie idle for long. East Africa's population was growing quickly, and eventually, these newly developed regions would be filled.
Ernst added, "Migration is a major endeavor—especially when driven by large-scale infrastructure. It could strain East Africa's administrative system. So you must strike the right balance—don't go to extremes. When the government has more time and capacity, we'll address these issues all at once."
The nationwide water conservancy initiative affected more than a million people—several million if one counted the Black population. This was no small feat for the East African government.
Moreover, the government was juggling numerous other tasks: launching new industries, port modernization, and the recently resolved Southern Ryukyu Islands conflict with Japan—all of which had drained much of East Africa's administrative capacity.
Now, with year-end approaching, Christmas and New Year were just around the corner. Many government departments were about to go on holiday, and before doing so, they had to finish their current work, including year-end summaries. So the East African government was under tremendous pressure, and now wasn't the time to burden officials further.
Loire said, "Understood, Your Highness. The main issue is that the Ministry of Water Resources is overwhelmed. This nationwide water conservancy initiative affects the entire population of over 30 million people. It doesn't matter whether they live in urban or rural areas. On top of that, we're short-staffed, which makes it even harder to cope."
In the end, East Africa had taken too big a leap. A national water conservancy project affecting two to three million people was bound to encounter problems.
And since water management was a highly technical field, East Africa lacked sufficient professionals. The government found it difficult to respond efficiently.
Still, Ernst was fairly satisfied with the government's efficiency and competence. East Africa was a young nation—less than ten years old, counting from its establishment. Even with its colonial phase, it had only existed for a few more years. Reaching this level of development meant its officials had overperformed.
That said, Ernst had grown used to this. Other officials, however, did not share his mindset. In his past life, Ernst had lived under a nationwide mobilization system. The state functioned like a person—so long as overall stability was maintained, there was no problem. As for setbacks, they were normal. Every country faced problems; the key measure of a healthy nation was how it responded to crises.
East Africa, as a new state, had yet to experience many issues. As long as it didn't collapse like the Soviet Union, it was on the right track.
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