National Water Strategy of Ethiopia.

This National Water Strategy is one of the three actions to reform the water sector in Ethiopia. Its main objective is to translate the national water resources management policy into action. It contains a set of short, medium and long-term action programs to realise the achievement of development goals and water-related policies: improving the living standard and general socio-economic well-being of the Ethiopian people; realising food self-sufficiency and food security in the country; extending water supply and sanitation coverage to large segments of the society, thus achieving improved environmental health conditions; generating additional hydro-power; enhancing the contribution of water resources in attaining national development priorities; promoting the principles of integrated water resources management. Fundamental principles pertaining to the formulation of national water strategy remain the same as those were adapted for the preparation of national water resources management policy.
The overall goal of the Water Resources Strategy is to enhance and promote all national efforts towards the efficient, equitable and optimum utilisation of the available water resources of Ethiopia for significant socio-economic development on a sustainable basis. The Strategy is divided into the following sub-sector strategies: General Water Resources Strategies; Hydropower Development Strategy; Water Supply And Sanitation Strategy; Irrigation Development Strategy. The General Water Resources Strategies consists of four chapters: Water Resource Development, Water Resources Management, the Enabling Environment and Transboundary Waters. For each Strategy the following issues are dealt with: finance and economics; research and development; stakeholders participation; gender mainstreaming; disasters and public safety; environment and health standards; technology and engineering; capacity building; institutional aspects; social aspects.
As for water resources development and utilisation, the following actions will be undertaken: assess and develop the country's surface water resources; develop ground water resources and ensure its optimal utilisation for different water uses; make effective and optimum use of available water resources by giving priority to multipurpose water resources development projects; strengthen and expand hydrological and hydro-meteorological activities; follow the integrated approach rather than the fragmented approach for water resources development; take follow-up actions on completed Integrated River Basin Development Master Plans; harvest rainwater through the construction of small check dams to meet domestic water supply and irrigation needs at the local level; reclaim existing wetlands, and prevent the formation of the new ones by using appropriate mechanisms; enhance and promote water transport, both passenger and cargo, on sustainable basis over rivers, lakes and reservoirs in the country; undertake proper assessment, preservation and enrichment of aquatic resources in rivers and lakes; and incorporate aquatic resources development in large scale water resources master plan studies; include the development of tourism and recreation resources.
The objective of the water supply and sanitation sub-sector strategy is to develop viable and implementable guidelines that promote the sustainable, efficient, effective, reliable, affordable and user-acceptable development of water supply and sanitation services, including livestock watering, in Ethiopia. Water allocation for drinking and sanitation purposes will hold the highest priority followed by water requirements for livestock in any water allocation plan.
The Strategy is completed by a Chapter that deals with short-term actions in each of the field mentioned above.