Challenges and problems regarding water resource in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has abundant water resources and contains headwaters of numerous transboundary
rivers. There are different challenges and problems that affect the water resources in Ethiopia.
These issues hinder us from efficiently using these water resources to their full potential.

The Topography of Ethiopia is one of these problems. The uneven topography of Ethiopia
leads most river water flows into gorge, thereby hindering large storage and irrigation
development. Also, most of the population, about 80 %, is living in the 30 % of the highlands of
the country where there is efficient water resource; thus, the water resource developments
that can be done in the lowlands suffer with lack of attention and labor. Almost no perennial
rivers can be found below 1,500 meters, leaving much of eastern Ethiopia without reliable
surface water. In additional cause the spatial distribution of rainfall in Ethiopia is significantly
influenced by its topographical variability.

Climate this is also mentioned as one of the most significant factors that affect water resources
in Ethiopia. The climate in Ethiopia is geographically quite diverse and often fluctuating from
region to region, due to its equatorial positioning and varied topography. Climate is considered
as one factor because most of the water bodies in Ethiopia are seasonal. There are four major
seasons that occur throughout the year in Ethiopia they are bega, kiremt, belg and tsedey. All
these seasons have different amount of average precipitation which leads to fluctuating and
unreliable water supply. The magnitude of the mean annual rainfall in the southeast, east, and
northeast borders of the country is lower by as much as less than 200 mm. The central and
western highlands of the country receive an annual mean rainfall of more than 1,200 mm.
Looking into the rainfall variability of the country by river basins, the eastern flowing river
basins (Wabishebele and Genale-Dawa) receive low to medium rainfall, whereas those that
flow to the west (Abay, Baro-Akobo, Omo-Gibe, and Tekeze) receive a mean annual rainfall in
the range of medium to high. Taking into account that rainwater is one of the significant water
supplies in Ethiopia it has a great effect.

Ground water is a significantly developing and important water resource in Ethiopia. The
geology of Ethiopia provides usable groundwater and provides good transmission of rainfall to
recharge aquifers, which produce springs and feed perennial rivers. In many parts of the
country, groundwater is an important source of domestic and industrial water use especially in
rural areas and towns. Groundwater is highly variable and dependent on the aquifer systems.
Groundwater availability is lowest in basement aquifers and highest in alluvial aquifers, and
both systems can be accessed at relatively shallow depths. Additionally around 30 percent of
Ethiopia’s groundwater has naturally high salinity and fluoride, mainly in the Great Rift Valley.
Concentrations of fluoride are nearly three times the WHO guideline value for fluoride in
drinking water in approximately one-third of boreholes and one half of shallow wells in the
Great Rift Valley.

Population growth affects the water resources in Ethiopia both directly and indirectly. Some
of the ways are increased demand, over extraction, habitat loss etc.

One popular problem is always raised related to water resource issues and that is pollution.
Untreated effluent from tanneries and textile factories around Addis Ababa, as well as large
scale gold mining in the south and artisanal gold mining nationwide degrade surface water
quality. Treatment of industrial effluent is limited and causes widespread pollution around
Addis Ababa. Textile factories use thousands of chemicals and lack adequate treatment systems
for effluent, and have caused high BOD and suspended solids in surface water. In one study,
median chromium levels were found to be 50 times higher than the WHO guideline value for
drinking water downstream of nearby tanneries in the Awash Basin. Artisanal gold mining
which uses arsenic to increase concentration of gold and is a harmful substance to the
environment is also widespread and employs over one million people, and poses risks from
watershed degradation and increased turbidity. One large gold mine in Southern Ethiopia has
also been linked to high mercury levels in downstream water sources. A recent national survey
found that almost 30 percent of sampled wells in southern, central, and northern Ethiopia were
contaminated with E. Coli. In Addis Ababa, only 14 percent of the city is connected to a sewer
system, with most households using on-site disposal systems such as latrines and septic tanks
which can pollute shallow groundwater.

Transboundary Rivers: As mentioned all rivers directly or indirectly flow out of Ethiopia so
consideration to use those rivers must be supported by different diplomacy agreements with
neighboring countries. For example the construction of a dam on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia,
such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), has significant implications for
downstream countries, particularly Egypt and Sudan. The Blue Nile is one of the main
tributaries of the Nile River, which is crucial for the water supply and agriculture of Egypt and
Sudan. The impacts of building a dam on the Blue Nile include water availability and agricultural
impacts which are positive aspects to Ethiopia but may be negative to other countries that use
the Nile River.

To resolve all of the issues mentioned above and others highly skilled professionals, accurate
information, dedicated government officials departments and lastly funding is needed. There is
lack dedicated national research, academic and development institute on water to assess the
challenges of water resources with branch office at various climatic regions. Regional water
resource bureaus are mainly charged with data gathering and project supervision instead of
water resources research and outreach program. Farmers practicing irrigation and the society
lack literacy on how to effectively use water resources.
-[Link]
ethiopian-water-resource-potentials-challenges-and-future-development-opportunities-
[Link]

-USAID Ethiopia water resource profile overview

-Surface Water and Groundwater Resources of Ethiopia: Potentials and Challenges of Water
Resources Development by Assefa M Melese, Belete Berhanu Kidanewold and Yilma Seleshi
---[Link]