It is eagerly awaited. The roadmap for irrigation activities in Ethiopia over the next ten years. Hit by the worst drought in its history, the East African country wants to improve the resilience of farmers and at the same time reduce food insecurity for the 24 million people suffering the effects of the drought in Ethiopia, nearly 12 million of whom need emergency food aid according to the United Nations (UN).
The aim is to unlock the immense agricultural potential of the country’s 6.8 million hectares of arable land. The Ethiopian government will benefit from the expertise of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). The memorandum of understanding was signed on 24 July 2023 by Aisha Mohammed, Ethiopia’s Minister of Irrigation and Lowlands, and Worknesh Mekonnen, Unops’ representative to the African Union (AU).
Modern irrigation meets the challenges of drought
Together, the Ethiopian government and UNOPS will identify the country’s untapped water reserves. These resources will be pumped to supply “modern” irrigation systems installed on farms. Both parties have also committed to mobilising resources for crucial activities such as technical assistance, full feasibility studies, pilot projects and scale-up operations.
Under the agreement, Unops will also provide expertise in infrastructure services, water supply and project management. These are decisive actions to ensure the successful implementation of Ethiopia’s ten-year irrigation roadmap, and the optimal use of the abundant agricultural resources of this country in the Horn of Africa.
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The agreement with Unops follows a conference held on 21 July 2023. At this meeting, the Ethiopian Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands presented the results of the study entitled “Irrigation Diagnosis and Inventory”, financed by the World Bank. “The recently published study will provide a crucial basis for future irrigation standards and development programmes,” explained Birhanu Megersa, the Ethiopian Minister of State for Irrigation and Lowlands.
According to the document, only 1.3 million hectares of the arable land available in the East African country are currently used for irrigation. Moreover, traditional irrigation systems still dominate the cultivation landscape, encompassing around 70% of the land under irrigation.
Inès Magoum