[WLRC 30th Dec 2025– 1st Jan 2026, Bonga]
The Omo–Ghibe Basin Woshi Catchment baseline situation assessment findings and Catchment Management Plan validation workshop was conducted on 30 December 2025 at Lewi Hotel in Bonga. The workshop was organized by the Water and Land Resource Centre (WLRC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE).
The workshop was officially opened by H.E. Ato Motuma Mekassa, with the rank of State Minister Senior Advisor to the Minister of Water and Energy. In his opening remarks, Ato Motuma emphasised the importance of such platforms in strengthening collaboration, building partnerships, and identifying effective implementation pathways to ensure the success of the IWRM initiatives.
More than 90 participants took part in the workshop, including Eng. Beyene Belachew, Head of the Southwest Ethiopia Region Water, Mines and Energy Bureau; Wro Genet Mekuria, Head of the Southwest Ethiopia Region Women and Social Affairs Bureau; representatives from the Kaffa Zone Administration Office, the Water and Agriculture Departments, the Southwest Ethiopia Region President’s Office; and officials from Shisho-Ende, Gawata, Decha, and GimboWoredas, which partly or fully lie within the Woshi Catchment.
The workshop also brought together representatives from sector offices, including Administration, Environment, and Cooperative Development, as well as development partners such as the Kaffa Development Association and NABU International. Academic and research institutions, including Mizan-Tepi University, Bonga University, and the Bonga Agricultural Research Centre, contributed scientific and technical expertise. Importantly, 18 kebele leaders and influential community representatives from across the catchment validated that local knowledge and lived realities are captured in the reports and the draft management plan.
Stakeholder feedback and further local insights were being gathered to strengthen ownership, improve relevance, and build consensus on proposed interventions. Findings of the assessments informed the 10-year Catchment Management Plan audit and review.