WLRC [March 2024]: The FDRE Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE), Water and Land Resource Centre – Addis Ababa University, and Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Ethiopia organised and conducted a high-level event for joint launching of Basin Development Support for Resilient, Inclusive Growth and Harmonized Transformation in the Water Sector of Ethiopia (BRIGHT)- Project and BaSRINET Project, both of which focus on strengthening and transforming Integrated Water Resource Management in Ethiopia on the 1st of March 2024 at Hyatt Regency Hotel, Addis Ababa.

In his Welcome Speech, the State Minister of Water and Energy H.E. Dr. Abraha Adugna said the joint launching of the two inter-related projects was important to lay fertile grounds for the Ministry to effectively coordinate and harmonise implementation of the projects and to create a platform for the actors to work through productive cooperation and complementarities by avoiding unnecessary overlaps and competitions. He also duly acknowledged The Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Italian Government, and the European Union for funding the projects and WLRC and the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation for preparing and developing the project proposals in close consultation with the MoWE and other concerned stakeholders.

Photo: H.E. Dr. Abraha serving the Welcome Address

In their respective Keynote Addresses, H.E. Mr. Henk Jan Bakker, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa; H.E. Mr. Alessandro Faraoni, Head of Development and Cooperation at the Embassy of Italy in Addis Ababa; and H.E. Mr. Roberto representing H.E. Amb. Rolland Kobia, Amba. of the European Union to Ethiopia expressed their pleasure over the joint launching of the projects and reaffirmed their commitments to continue supporting MoWE, WLRC and the other key actors of IWRM.

H.E. Mr. Henk Jan Bakker, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa
H.E. Mr. Alessandro Faraoni, Head of Development and Cooperation at the Embassy of Italy in Addis Ababa
H.E. Mr Roberto, Representive of Ambassador of European Union

H.E. Dr. Ing. Habtamu Itafa, Minister, Ministry of Water and Energy, appreciated the joint launching of the two projects as a good starting point for effective coordination and harmonization of IWRM-related initiatives in the country, and thanked the funding agencies and the organisations that led and participated in the proposal development. He then declared the BRIGHT and BaSRINET projects ‘officially launched’ and requested the high-level participants to map out mechanisms for a heightened cooperation, collaboration and harmonization towards an efficient and sustainable implementation of the NIWRM Program.

H.E. Dr. Eng. Habtamu Itafa, Minister, Ministry of Water and Energy

Dr. Bizuneh Asfaw, Coordinator, NPCU for NIWRMP (supported by WLRC) gave a well-illustrated presentation of the NIWRM Program positioning the BRIGHT and BaSRINET projects at the core of efforts to a successful implementation of the NIWRM programme. Subsequently, the WLRC Director General Dr. Gete Zeleke and the WASH, Environment, and Energy Team Leader at the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation Mr. Fabio Gaggi introduced the overall goals, objectives, operation areas and foci, work packages, implementation strategies, partners and stakeholders, as well as their preparations into a successful inception of the BRIGHT and BaSRINET projects, respectively. Dr. Gete also thanked EKN and MoWE for financing the other important projects like Kunzila Integrated Watershed management and WaSH Project and Ethio-WaterAudit projects, respectively, from which experiences will be drawn for BRIGHT.

WLRC Director General Dr. Gete Zeleke
Dr. Bizuneh Asfaw, Coordinator, NPCU for NIWRMP
Mr. Fabio Gaggi, WASH, Environment, and Energy Team Leader at the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation

H.E. Dr. Abraha Adugna reminded all actors to use the Basin Management Plans as a planning unit and invited the dignitary guests and participants for a Group Photo before a health Break.

Back from the Health Break, Dr. Abraha opened the floor for discussion. The participants reminded MoWE, WLRC, and the IADC to embed and reflect in their Implementation and MEL strategies also mechanisms for joint planning, joint implementation and joint monitoring of progress. Presidents of Bahir Dar, Arba-Minch, Wollo, and Mekelle Universities and representatives of regional Water Bureaus of Somali and Tigray vowed their interest to take part in the implementation of these and other IWRM-related projects. The University presidents called for a meaningful engagement of their academia and graduate students in action research components of the projects.

The Organisers of the event promised to ensure engagement of the universities and to exercise joint planning and monitoring of progress. Finally, H.E. Dr. Abraha closed the launching event by reminding all actors to join hands for a successful implementation of the BRIGH and BaSRINET projects as well as other upcoming initiatives.

Over 80 participants from the Ministries of Water and Energy, Planning, Agriculture; Regional Bureaus of these sectors; Basin Authority Offices; Universities; funding agencies such as the EU, the Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation; and key players in BRIGHT and BASRINET the WLRC and IADC; NGOs, and Private Sector actors attended the joint launching event.