Basin vision
An Ogaden basin where carefully developed groundwater, restored rangelands, and basic water security transform pastoralist resilience in one of Ethiopia's most arid landscapes.
Basin Plans · IWRM Framework
Twelve Basins. One Integrated Vision.
Ethiopia's water future is mapped across twelve major river basins, each with its own hydrology, communities, and challenges. Explore the integrated management plan for each basin — features, targets, and where we are today.
Select a basin
Eastern lowlands · Somali
Ogaden
- Catchment area
- 77,121 km²
- Annual yield
- < 1 BCM
- Plan implementation
- 18%
Key features
- Predominantly arid basin with ephemeral rivers and limited surface water
- Substantial deep groundwater potential, partially mapped across the eastern aquifers
- Pastoralist communities depend almost entirely on shallow wells, birkas, and seasonal pans
- Critical to livestock-based livelihoods that anchor the Somali regional economy
Thematic issues
- Chronic water scarcity for both human and livestock needs
- Unsustainable abstraction from shallow aquifers in growing settlements
- Limited hydrogeological data on deeper aquifer systems
- Recurrent drought emergencies requiring repeated humanitarian water trucking
Key measures
- 01Complete a basin-wide deep aquifer assessment and yield mapping
- 02Develop solar-powered multi-village water schemes in priority pastoralist clusters
- 03Rehabilitate and modernise traditional water harvesting (birkas, sand dams, micro-catchments)
- 04Establish a drought-water emergency protocol coordinated with the Disaster Risk Commission
Key targets · progressive
- 2027In progress
Map and license 100% of major deep groundwater abstraction sites
- 2030Planned
Provide reliable dry-season water to 800,000 pastoralists via multi-village schemes
- 2035Planned
Reduce emergency water trucking spend by 60% through resilient infrastructure
Challenges
- Logistics and security in remote woredas slow infrastructure delivery
- Specialised hydrogeological capacity is concentrated outside the region
- Recurrent drought response often crowds out long-term investment
Implementation status & updates
18%
- Current phase
- Plan drafting
- Last updated
- September 2025
The Ogaden Basin Plan is being developed with strong emphasis on groundwater. Hydrogeological surveys completed in 2025 are informing the resource baseline.
Institutions
Water Resources Management Platforms
Integrated basin management depends on the institutions that convene, decide, and act. Five platforms operate across Ethiopia's basins to align government, communities, partners, and technical experts.
- 12Members
River Basin Authorities
Role · Lead implementation of integrated basin plans
Federal authorities responsible for planning, allocating, and regulating water resources within each major basin. The Awash, Abbay, Omo-Gibe, and Rift Valley authorities are operational, with others being established.
- 36Members
Basin High Councils
Role · Multi-stakeholder governance and oversight
High-level basin councils convene federal ministries, regional bureaus, and civil society to oversee basin priorities, endorse plans, and resolve cross-jurisdictional water issues.
- 220Members
Stakeholder Forums
Role · Community and user-group engagement
Sub-basin and woreda-level forums bring together farmers, pastoralists, women's groups, industry, and local government to inform allocation and resolve day-to-day water disputes.
- 8Members
Inter-Ministerial Committee
Role · Federal policy alignment
Brings together MoWE, Agriculture, Finance, Environment, Health, and others to align water-sector decisions with national development, fiscal, and environmental priorities.
- 64Members
Technical Working Groups
Role · Specialist analysis and standards
Cross-institutional working groups on hydrology, irrigation, water quality, climate, and gender provide technical inputs to basin plans and national IWRM frameworks.
Documents
Basin Plan Resources
Foundational documents, manuals, and reports that guide integrated basin planning across Ethiopia. Final basin-specific plans will be added to this library as they are approved and published.
- Coming soon
National IWRM Framework
The overarching national framework for integrated water resources management in Ethiopia, setting out principles, institutional roles, and planning hierarchy.
PDF · 4.2 MB · 2023
- Coming soon
Basin Plan Preparation Manual
Step-by-step methodological guide for preparing an integrated basin plan, including stakeholder engagement, data requirements, and approval pathway.
PDF · 6.8 MB · 2024
- Coming soon
Hydromet & Water Quality Monitoring Guidelines
Standards for siting, operating, and maintaining hydrological and water-quality monitoring stations across the basin gauging network.
PDF · 2.1 MB · 2023
- Coming soon
Water Allocation & Permitting Guidelines
Procedures for volumetric allocation, abstraction permitting, and compliance monitoring under the Water Resources Management Proclamation.
PDF · 3.5 MB · 2024
- Coming soon
Basin Stakeholder Engagement Handbook
Practical handbook for basin authorities and councils on convening, consulting, and reporting back to basin-level stakeholders.
PDF · 1.8 MB · 2023
- Coming soon
Basin Plans Annual Implementation Report 2024
Annual progress report on integrated basin plan implementation across all twelve basins, with status indicators and forward-look priorities.
PDF · 9.4 MB · 2024