Ethiopia’s Water Resources: A Comprehensive Review of Availability, Utilization, and Management

Abstract

Water is Ethiopia’s most critical natural resource, underpinning agriculture, energy, and livelihoods. However, the country faces growing challenges in managing its water resources due to poor spatial and temporal distribution, rapid population growth, climate change, weak institutional frameworks, and transboundary tensions. This review synthesizes evidence on Ethiopia’s surface water, groundwater, and rainfall variability across the 12 major river basins. It highlights how rainfall is highly erratic, with increasing frequency of droughts and floods, while groundwater remains underutilized due to limited infrastructure. More than 90% of Ethiopia’s water use is allocated to agriculture, yet irrigation potential is far below capacity. Hydropower development has expanded, notably through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), but institutional fragmentation and weak policy enforcement hinder integrated management. Transboundary challenges, particularly in the Nile Basin, add further complexity. The review identifies critical issues, including weak institutional coordination, infrastructure deficits, watershed degradation, and limited data systems. At the same time, opportunities exist in institutional reforms, investment in irrigation and storage infrastructure, conservation-based watershed management, and regional cooperation. To ensure sustainable water security, Ethiopia must adopt integrated water resource management (IWRM), strengthen policies, expand irrigation efficiency, enhance monitoring systems, and foster transboundary cooperation.