Chapter 4

Drainage Systems and Water Resource of Ethiopia and

the Horn
4.1. Introduction
• About 71% of the earth's total surface is covered by water bodies
majorly occupied by seas and oceans.
• Of the earth's total water surface, nearly 97.5% is alkaline
accumulated in seas and oceans.
• The remaining 2.5% is fresh water, of which nearly 68.7% is deposited
in glaciers, 30.1% in ground water, 0.8% in permafrost and 0.4% in
surface waters.

alkaline(seas and oceans) fresh water

Cont…
Water in lakes, rivers, atmosphere, soils and wetlands are considered as
surface waters.
Surface and ground waters are by far the most abundant and easily
available fresh waters.
However, fresh water is distributed unevenly throughout the world
following varied latitudinal locations, climatic and topographic setups.
Around 0.7 % of the total land mass of Ethiopia is covered by water
bodies.
Although it requires further detailed investigation, the country's surface
water potential as studied in different integrated river basin master plans
is estimated to be 124.4 billion cubic meters (BCM).
Consequently, many call Ethiopia, the water tower of “Eastern Africa”.
 Drainage System
The flow of water through well-defined channel is known as drainage.
A drainage system is made up of a principal river and its tributaries (the rivers that
flow into it).
A river system begins at a place called the source or headwater and ends at a point
called mouth.
Therefore, a drainage system is branched network of stream channels together with
the adjacent land slopes they drain.
The general patterns of major river basins in Ethiopia are determined by topographical
structures which can be clarified as:
A. The topography of the outward sloping of the Western and South eastern plateaus
B. The structural formation of the Rift Valley with its in-ward-sloping escarpments
resulting mainly in an inland drainage system.
C. Faults and joints that structurally influence part of the courses of many rivers.
4.2. Major Drainage System of Ethiopia

• Following the complex physiographic setup and geological makeup,

Ethiopia possesses three broadly classified drainage systems namely
Western, Southeastern and Rift Valley Drainage Systems.
• Western and the Southeastern drainage systems are separated by the
Rift Valley system.
Cont…
Cont…
4.2.1. The Western Drainage Systems
• The Western Drainage Systems are the largest of all drainage systems
draining 40 percent of the total area of the country and carry 60 percent
of the annual water flow.
• Most of the catchment area coextends with the westward sloping part of
the western highlands and western lowlands.
• Unlike other river basins in the system, the Ghibe (Omo) flows
southward.
• The Abay, Tekeze and Baro flow westward ultimately joining the Nile
which finally ends at Mediterranean Sea.
• The largest river both in volumetric discharge and coverage in the
western drainage systems is the Abay.
• Abay river basin covers an area of 199,812 km2, covering parts of
Amhara, Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz regional states.
Cont…
• Abfrom ay which rises from Lake Tana (some sources
indicate its origin Sekela, Choke mountain) flows about
1,450 kilometres and joins the White Nile in Khartoum,
Sudan to form the Nile River.
• More than 60 streams drain the Abay within elevation
ranging between 500 - 4261 meters above sea level.
• The largest of these is Ghilgel Abay (Little Abay).
• Abay flows eastward, turns 180 0 to make a large bend and
after cutting an impressive and deep gorge emerges out in the
west.
 Abay River

Together with its tributaries,

most of which are left-bank
tributaries; it carries 65
percent of the annual water
flow of the region.
Cont…
• Similarly, the Tekeze and its tributaries, carrying 12 percent of the
annual water flow of the region drains 82,350 Km2 of land surface
within elevation ranging between 536-4517 meters above sea level.
• The basin has two main tributaries (Angereb and Goang) which rises
in the central highlands of Ethiopia.
• Tekeze River is termed Atbara in Sudan, which is a tributary of the
Nile.
• The total mean annual flow from the basin is estimated to be 8.2
billion metric cubes (BMC, here after).
Tekeze and Abay river
Cont…
• The Baro-Akobo and Ghibe / Omo rivers drain the wettest highlands
in the south and southwestern Ethiopia.
• They carry 17 percent and 6 percent of the annual water flow
respectively.
• The Ghibe/ Omo river basin drains an area of 79,000 km 2 with an
estimated mean annual flow of 16.6 BMC.
• In the lower course, the Baro River flows across an extensive marshy
land.
• Baro Akobo river basin has an area of 75,912 km2, covering parts of
the Benishangul Gumuz, Gambellas, Oromia, and SNNPR.
• The total mean annual flow from the river basin is estimated to be 23.6
BMC.
Cont…
• The Baro together with Akobo forms the Sobat River in South Sudan.
• The Ghibe / Omo River finally empties in to the Chew-Bahir at the
mouth of Lake Turkana (an elongated Rift Valley lake) thereby
forming an inland drainage.
4.2.2. The Southeastern Drainage Systems
• Nearly the entire physiographic region of southeastern part of Ethiopia
is drained by the southeastern drainage systems.
• The basin which is mainly drained by Wabishebelle and Ghenale,
slopes south-eastwards across large water deficient plains.
• Major highlands of this basin include plateaus of Arsi, Bale, Sidama
and Harerghe.
• Wabshebelle and Ghenale rivers cross the border into Somalia,
carrying 25 percent of the annual water flow of Ethiopia.
Cont…Ghenale River
• Ghenale River basin has an area of 171,042 km2, covering parts of
Oromia, SNNPR, and Somali regions.
• Ghenale, which has fewer tributaries but carries more water than
Wabishebelle, reaches the Indian Ocean.
• The basin flows estimated to be 5.8 BMC within elevation ranging
between 171-4385 meters above sea level.
• In Somalia it is named the Juba River.
Cont… Wabishebelle River
• Wabishebelle with a total catchment area of 202,697 km2, is the
largest river in terms catchment area.
• It drains parts of Oromia, Harari and the Somali regions. It is the
longest river in Ethiopia.
• Its tributaries are mainly left bank and, most of them, are intermittent.
• Despite its size, the Wabishebelle fails to reach the Indian Ocean
where at the end of its journey it flows parallel to the coast before its
water disappears in the sands, just near the Juba River.
4.2.3. The Rift Valley Drainage System
• The Rift Valley drainage system is an area of small amount of
rainfall, high evaporation and small catchment area.
• The size of the drainage area is restricted by the outward
sloping highlands, which starts right from the edge of the
escarpment.
• The Rift Valley drainage system is therefore left with the slopes
of the escarpment and the Rift Valley floor itself as the
catchment area.
Cont…
• The only major river basin is that of the Awash.
• Awash river basin has a catchment area of 114,123 km2 and has an average
annual discharge of 4.9 billion cubic meters.
• The Awash River originates from Shewan plateau in central highlands of
Ethiopia, and flows 1250 kms.
• It covers parts of the Amhara, Oromia, Afar, Somali, Dire Dawa, and Addis
Ababa City Administration. Awash is the most utilized river in the country.
• In this drainage systems, there is no one general flow direction, as the
streams flow in all directions.
• Following the Rift Valley orientation, the Awash flows in a northeast
direction.
• It finally ends in a maze of small lakes and marshy area; the largest of which
is Lake Abe on the Ethio-Djibouti border.
Cont…
• The Afar drainage sub-basin has practically no stream flow. It is an
area of little rain, very high temperature and very high evaporation.
• Lake Afrera and Asale are the only main surface waters in the basin
which are not the result of any meaningful surface flow.
• The Southern part of the Rift Valley sub-basin is characterized by a
number of lakes and small streams. It is also described as lakes region.
• There are small streams that drain down from the nearby mountain
slopes which supply water to the lakes.
• For example, Meki and Katar Rivers flow into Ziway; Bilate into Abaya;
and Segen into Chew Bahir.
• Likewise, some of these lakes are interconnected. Lakes Ziway and
Langano drain into Lake Abijiata through the small streams of Bulbula
and Horocolo respectively.
4.3. Water Resources: Rivers, Lakes and Sub-Surface Water
4.3.1. The Ethiopian Rivers

• Unlike many other African countries, Ethiopia is endowed

with many rivers.
• Majority of the rivers originate from highland areas and cross
the Ethiopian boundary.
• Altogether, Ethiopian rivers form 12 major watersheds
separating the Mediterranean Sea from the Indian Ocean
drainage systems.
Cont…
General Characteristics of Ethiopian Rivers
Ethiopian rivers have the following characteristics.
Almost all major rivers originate from the highlands elevating more than
1500 meters above sea level,
Majority of Ethiopian rivers are trans-boundary,
Due to the marked seasonality of rainfall, Ethiopian rivers are characterized by
extreme seasonal fluctuation.
Due to surface ruggedness they have rapids and waterfalls along their
course,
They have cuts, steep-sided river valleys and deep gorges along their
courses,
Rivers in Ethiopia flow on steep slopes having steep profiles.
Some of the rivers serve as boundaries, both international and domestic
administrative units.
4.3.2. The Ethiopian Lakes
• Relatively Ethiopia is rich in lakes.
• Almost all Ethiopian lakes are result of tectonic process that took place
during Quaternary period of Cenozoic era.
• Except few Ethiopian lakes (highland lakes), majority of lakes are located
within the Rift Valley System.
• Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia occupies a shallow depression in the
highlands.
• Ethiopia is also gifted with crater lakes(highland lakes). These include the
lakes at and around Bishoftu, Wonchi (near Ambo), Hayk (near Dessie) and
the Crater Lake on top of Mount Zikwala. Lake Ashenge (Tigray) is formed
on a tectonic basin.
• Man-made lakes in Ethiopia are such as Lakes Koka, Fincha and Melka
Wakena, and many other lakes dammed following hydroelectric power
generation projects.
Cont…
4.3.3. Subsurface (Ground) Water Resource of Ethiopia
• As compared to surface water resources, Ethiopia has lower ground
water potential.
• However, there exists higher total exploitable groundwater potential.
• Climatic and geophysical conditions determine the availability of
groundwater resource.
• Based on existing small knowledge, the groundwater potential of
Ethiopia is estimated to be 2.6 - 6.5 BMC.
• However, this estimate is now considered underestimated. Considering
various separate studies,
• Ethiopian potential of groundwater is believed to range between 12-30
BMC.
4.4. Water Resources Potentials and Development in Ethiopia
• The enormous water resource potential of Ethiopia is underutilized
due to so many factors.
• However, there are plenteous of opportunities that can transform the
resource into our collective social and economic needs.
• Some of potential development uses of water resource of Ethiopia are :
Hydro-electric Potential
Irrigation and Transportation
Fishing and Recreation
 CHAPTER FIVE
THE CLIMATE OF ETHIOPIA AND THE HORN