Enhancing Ethiopia’s Resilience to Drought and Hydrological Variability with Inter and Intera-Basin Water Transfer

It is hardly possible to think of sustainable development of society without access to safe and adequate water. Perhaps that is the reason that most of the civilizations have developed on the banks of rivers or other water bodies. However, water availability varies in space and time. At various places, its availability is either too much or too less. Further, in countries where poverty is a chronic problem, access to safe and adequate water and sanitation facilities is low. The severity of water shortage is pronounced in Sub-Saharan regions and mild in other parts of Africa. Ethiopia, a country of ancient culture is located in the north-eastern part of the horn of Africa. The water resources development and management conditions in Ethiopia are no better than any other Sub-Saharan African region, if not worse. Less than half of the population has access to safe and adequate drinking water. Only one-third (approximately) of the population has access to adequate sanitation services. Further, during the last century, Ethiopia has experienced recurring droughts. During such periods, water-related diseases become rampant. Most of the surface water sources dry up and the remaining water bodies get contaminated. Further, the major river basins in Ethiopia are transboundary in nature with wide variation in water availability. Keeping this in mind, the present study advocates the inter-linking of rivers for rational and equitable distribution of water resources in various river basins to the extent possible. A proposal has been prepared on the basis of water availability which can be further examined for its technical and economic viability.