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Water, peace and security (WPS) partnership: Ethiopia

The Omo-Gibe Basin region that extends across the border between Ethiopia and Kenya has undergone rapid developments in recent years, with impacts on water resources in a context of high fragility with a history of local intercommunal conflicts. Due to its remote location from the central governments in both countries, the basin faces institutional, logistical and capacity constraints. The diverse communities living in the region rely on livelihoods, like pastoralism, that heavily depend on ecosystem services. They are expected to be heavily affected by changes in water and ecosystems.

Ethiopia, farming, agriculture, livestock, cattle herd, ploughing, rural
© D Mz/Pixabay.com
Livestock farmer in Ethiopia

Resilient water resources management and sustainable development in the Omo-Gibe Basin can only happen if an operative basin plan guides water and development policy. Effective water resources management — such as establishing water allocation, implementing water efficiency measures, constructing water storage infrastructure, communicating water challenges with stakeholders and establishing and enforcing water policy — requires a reliable basin development plan.

The Ethiopian government has set ambitious targets for socioeconomic development in its 10-year prospective plan. This development plan calls for substantial expansion in irrigation, energy and industrialization in various parts of the country, including in the Omo-Gibe Basin. These sectoral development plans, along with high population growth and urbanization rates, will require greater access to water. The need to expand access to water, food, energy and other resources for a growing population contributes to intensified competition for water and potential conflict between water users. Water quality challenges related to urbanization, landscape degradation and industrialization in the Basin may further reduce available water supply and increase the severity of water stress. WPS supports in developing the Omo-Gibe Basin plan through capacity building, stakeholder engagement, reviewing development and implementation plans and helping to develop monitoring and evaluation plans.

This description was originally published on the Water, Peace and Security (WPS) partnership’s website. The full description can be found here.

 

Contact person and email:

info@waterpeacesecurity.org

@WaterPeaceSec

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Supported by the Netherlands

Type: Process

Relevant action areas: 3. Climate security risk-informed resilience and adaptation; 5. Knowledge and experience sharing; 6. Cooperation through dialogue

Location of project: Omo-Gibe Basin

Duration: 2018-present

Partners: IHE Delft, World Resources Institute, Deltares, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, Wetlands International and International Alert, Ethiopia Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy (MoWIE)

Key activities: Basin development plan, capacity building, stakeholder engagement, monitoring and evaluation