Abbay Journal of Water and Environmental Sciences

Hydro Systems Analysis of Tana Basin for the Lake Ecosystem Resilience

Sisay Asres — 2024-12-26

Lake Tana Basin (LTB), part of the Afro-Tropical wetland system, is Ethiopia's primary freshwater resource, providing significant socioeconomic, ecological, and religious benefits to the community. However, the region is facing major ecological and social changes due to soil degradation and shifts in water resource supply, demand, and quality. There is a lack of coordinated efforts to regulate land and water use by the government and NGOs, leading to competing interests. This study assessed stakeholder perspectives on upstream and downstream relations using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Water balance analysis revealed that Lake Tana has a storage capacity of 29.175 BCM, with 65% as dead storage. Around 50% of the basinâ€™s water is lost to evaporation, and 36% of annual inflow (3,740 MCM) is discharged. The environmental flow over the Chara-Chara weir is 9.6% of the annual inflow, while 898.4 MCM is used for irrigation and 3,310.8 MCM (33%) for hydropower. The lakeâ€™s estimated residence time is 2.8 years, with depth variations from 1.5 to 3.0 meters.

Land Suitability Assessment for Surface Irrigation Using Geospatial Techniques, Shinfa River Basin, Ethiopia

Biniam A. Bayehi — 2024-12-26

Assessment of potential lands suitable for surface irrigation techniques is vital for Ethiopia, where sustainable development is a desire of its people while the country has sufficient water resources and potentially suitable lands. This study aims to identify suitable land for surface irrigation in the Shinfa River basin, and Metema-Quara districts. The study used a combination of Geographic Information System (GIS), and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) techniques to identify surface irrigation-suitability lands. Distance proximity (river, town, and road) and land features (LULC, major soils, soil characteristics, and slope) were the suitability factors. The results show that 1.64% (8,991.5 ha) of land is highly suitable and 69% (377,431.5 ha) of land is moderately suitable in the basin having a total of 5,467.3 km2 basin area. In the middle downstream of the basin, an 85,480-ha large-scale irrigation project was designed by Amhara Design and Supervision Works Enterprise (ADSWE) by providing storage at Gubay Jejebit Kebele. Referencing the proposed dam site, the downstream Metema-Quara district had 105,042 ha of suitable irrigation potential within the basin. However, only 38% of suitable land was proposed and designed for surface irrigation development. Therefore, to increase the irrigable land in the district, design extensions and other water source alternatives (diversion, groundwater, and rainwater harvesting) should be considered, and having large-scale suitable irrigation potential requires the implementation of irrigation projects for the better development of the country.

Water Diplomacy as Peaceful Means for Enhancing Cooperation and Sustainable Development in the Eastern Nile Basin

Meseret Dawit Teweldebrihan — 2024-12-26

The study aims at the roles of water diplomacy approaches for Transboundary Rivers to enhance cooperation. The comparison was to draw lessons that would contribute to transforming the conflict in the Eastern Nile to achieve peaceful collaboration in sustainable development and management of the shared Nile Waters. The study assessed the role of multi-track water diplomacy in enhancing formal and informal diplomacy, analyzed the past and present water diplomacy approaches practiced within the Eastern Nile countries and identified the main challenges hindering the riparian countries from reaching satisfactory dispute resolution by all riparian states. The research used a mixed-methods approach, combining primary and secondary data. The snowball sampling technique was used to identify and recruit participants, and focus group discussions with key stakeholders were held to gain in-depth insights. This qualitative research design allowed the researchers to conduct a thorough examination of the subject matter, delving into the perspectives and experiences of various stakeholders involved in the Eastern Nile River basin. The interview findings show that almost 52% of respondents indicated negotiation is the best approach to be practised in the context of the Eastern Nile River basin and about 36 % of respondents perceive that Ministry of Foreign affairs are the main actors followed by other scientific groups. The study indicated that the role of civil society and other actors in the region has significant importance in enhancing formal water diplomacy to reach an agreement. Moreover, the experience from the global trans-boundary water resources management shows that negotiation and mediation techniques on water diplomacy approaches were widely adapted and used in resolving disputes over shared water resources. Additionally, the civil society and other actors played a significant role in bridging the gap and creating a neutral platform for interaction between the riparian states that pave the way for cooperation.

Meaning(s) of Water: Fish and the Human Ecology in Ethiopiaâ€™s Upper Nile

James McCann — 2024-12-26

Water is a media that sustains both belief and life. One of its powers is symbol of power and destiny. In the Upper Nile it carries meaning as a place (point of origin, a highland spring or montane rivers), a conduit for travel, and a source of food. This paper uses fish and waters as both a material, living part of nature and as part of the human imaginary. In this structured ecology human relationship with environment requires intervention of the supernatural that can be reached through mediation by holy men, who mediate between humanity and the environment (natural world). Hitherto, there has been no study looking at how local ecology of fish and the human settlement collide and interact. Drawing on a broad range of local historical sources, science studies, and field observations over several decades from Ethiopiaâ€™s Blue Nile region, this article addresses human interaction with environment (and fish) in the Lake Tana region and sheds light on competing narratives that have resulted from this interaction. The article recognizes the centrality water as habitat in the relationship between people, water, and nature in this part of Ethiopia and addresses the impact of human movement on ways in which people make sense of their environment (past and present).

Assessment of Drinking Water Quality from Source to Point of Use in Merawi Town, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia

Endeshaw Nibret Abeje — 2024-12-26

This research focused on evaluating drinking water quality from source to point of use in Merawi town, which is located in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. Water samples were collected in both the dry season (from March to April) and the wet season (from mid-July to mid-August) of 2021. A total of 50 water samples were collected from 25 purposively selected sampling points and eleven physicochemical parameters (pH, temperature, turbidity, EC, TDS, total hardness, Ca2+, Mg2+, NO3, NO2- and Cl-) and bacteriological parameters (total coliform and faecal coliform) were tested using standard procedures. Sanitary inspections were also conducted in order to identify the possible causes of contamination. The results show that except turbidity and temperature all the selected physicochemical parameters were within the acceptable limits of WHO and Ethiopian standards. The maximum turbidity values of 14.27NTU was recorded in the wet season at the point of use while the highest temperature value of 25.63OC was recorded in the dry season at the point of disinfection. Bacteriological test results show that all the samples had positive total coliform counts in both seasons whereas only 28% and 12% of the samples had zero faecal coliform counts in the dry and wet seasons, respectively. The sanitary inspection results indicate that uncovered collection chamber, wrong way of disinfection, incidence of cross-contamination, change in water flow due to intermittent water supply, presence of older pipe material and dead-end layout system are the possible causes of contamination. In order to provide safe drinking water to the residents of the town, there is an urgent need to establish buffer zone to the water source area, maintain the collection chamber cover, develop proper drainage network and improve the chlorination system.