The objective of the Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Ethiopia is increased access to sustainable water supply and sanitation services, for rural and urban users, through improved capacity of stakeholders in the sector.  The target of Ethiopia’s Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Program (SDPRP) for the medium and long term is consistent with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For water supply, the MDG target is to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The baseline for water supply is 24% and the baseline for sanitation is 15% in the year 2000. Accordingly, the goal is 63% for water supply and 58% for sanitation in the year 2015.

Water Statistics in Ethiopia

In the year 2000 approximately 7 of 50 million people in rural areas (13%) and 8 of 11 million peoplein urban areas (73%) had access to safe drinking water. In that year 3 million people in rural areas (6%) and 6 million people in urban areas (62%) had accessto basic sanitation services.To achieve the MDG in Ethiopia about 35 million more peoplein rural areas will need improved water and sanitation services and 8 million more people in urban areas will need sanitation facilities.

Water Supply and Sanitation Issues in Ethiopia

Low Service Levels  - Water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia is characterized by low coverage and service ratios across rural and urban communities. User fees for service are often too low to provide for adequate maintenance of existing facilities.

Limited Financing for Expansion and Improvement of Service - Budget resources combined with donor and bilateral assistance have not been sufficient to significantly improve coverage and will be insufficient to meet SDPRP and MDG targets unless funds can be channeled more efficiently and effectively.

Decentralization and Capacity Constraints - Until recently the Federal government was responsible for identification, planning and implementation of water supply and sanitation improvements. Consistentwith the Government’s policy on decentralization, many of these responsibilities are now being shifted to the regional and local governments, but their capacity to carry out these new responsibilities is limited. There is wide disparity in capacity between the more developed regions(Oromia, Amhara, SPNNP, Tigray, Harari) andthe emerging regions (Afar, Somali,Benshangul-Gamuz, Gambella).

Stakeholder and Private Sector Participation- There is not a strong tradition of stakeholder involvementin decision making in Ethiopia. To date there has been only limited involvement by the private or informal sector in design and construction or water supply systems, and almost none in operation and maintenance.

Project Components

Component 1 provides funding (i) to increase the capacity of participating woredas to effectively manage their rural water supply and sanitation programs, (ii) to increase the capacity of participating communities to effectively manage their water supply and sanitation facilities, and (iii) to ensure that well functioning water supply schemes are in place in participating communities.
Component 2 provides funding (i) to increase the capacity of participating water board committees and operators to effectively manage their water supply and sanitation facilities, and (ii) to ensure that well functioning and properly utilized urban water supply systems and improved sanitation are in place in participating towns and cities.

Component 3 is designed to support improvements to monitoring and management of water resources management at the federal and regional levels.

Project Funding

Funding will be provided to the MWR, WRDF and Regional Water Bureaus to build the capacity of staff and consultants for program implementation and monitoring, to equip water quality testing and training centers, to develop its web site and networking capabilities, to carry out applied research, and to refine its policies and program implementation arrangements.