Plans for Ethiopia: 2006-2011

A strategy running from 2005 to 2010 sets out the plans and activities for WaterAid in
Ethiopia. During this time we will continue to focus on water, sanitation and hygiene education, working with local partners on community managed projects.

To address the huge needs of the country and ensure as many Ethiopians as possible gain access to water and sanitation, greater emphasis will be placed on strengthening partnerships and alliances in order to influence others.

This includes our close involvement in the WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene for all) Ethiopia movement and in the Ethiopia Country Water Partnership (ECWP). Collaboration is vital as Ethiopia faces massive challenges with regards to water and sanitation.

Its progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), targets agreed by all governments to halve the proportions of people without access to water and sanitation between 1990 and 2015, is currently way off track. Latrine construction needs to increase more than ten-fold to 70,000 a month by 2015 to reach the sanitation MDG.

Financing water and sanitation services is a key problem. While responsibility for water and sanitation has shifted from central to district government, they still lack the capacity to carry out their roles effectively and performance is also hindered by the lack of coordination among donors.

Mehari Abraha from Adiawanawaza, Ethiopia

Credit: WaterAid / Caroline Irby

"I have seen a very radical change here. Before we only had unprotected sources of water. My family suffered badly. My three year old daughter died from this water. There were parasites which gave us illnesses and stomach problems. So many children used to die, but now this has changed and children don't die from these diseases.

Before we used to have to go to the health clinics all of the time, often every day. I used to spend time walking there and hours just queuing to be seen, but now I can save my time and money. I have bought 20 chickens and one goat from the money I have saved. With the time I can work on my maize and pepper crop."

Initial pledges and budgets are often not being translated into funds, and even when these funds are made available on time, delays in implementation result in significant under-spending. While the amount spent on these essential services needs to increase by $31 million a year, WaterAid is also lobbying for changes in the way in which money is spent.

It is supporting efforts to improve the coordination of spending and is working particularly closely with the regional and wereda (district) governments of Benishangul Gumuz and Oromia Regions with some notable successes. In these two states WaterAid will also map the number and functionality of water points to ensure that future services are provided in an equitable way.

Emphasis will also be placed on sustainability and affordability issues. In the future 'citizens action' projects will enable communities to assess the performance of service providers and the Government and to lobby for improvements in their communities' water and sanitation services.

Finally, greater emphasis will be placed on water resource management to ensure that water quality and quantity are maintained in the long run and to promote a more integrated approach to water resource management.

This is being promoted through the ECWP but plans are also in place to create guidelines for all partners and to ensure that at least half of the rural projects have a significant water resource management component.