Arba Minch, April 2025 —Water and Land Resource Centre (WLRC), in partnership with the Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE), officially launched the Basin Management Support for Resilient, Inclusive Growth, and Harmonized Transformation (BRIGHT) Project in the Rift Valley Lakes Basin. According to Gete Zeleke, WLRC Director General, the launching workshop, held at Haile Resort in Arba Minch, represents a significant step into supporting the the government’s commitment to improve water resource management in Ethiopia by realising the National Integrated Water Resource Management Program (NIWRMP) in one of Ethiopia’s vital regions in terms of ecological significance and sensitivity.
H.E. Dr. Abraha Adugna, State Minister for Water Resources Management at MoWE, officially launched the project in the RVL basin and reaffirmed the government’s support for basin-wide integrated planning and resilient development. Dr. Mesfin Menza, Mayor of Arba Minch City, welcomed the participants and expressed his appreciation for the project, highlighting the urgency of addressing the region’s pressing water and land management concerns.
Throughout the workshop, the participants engaged in detailed discussions on the BRIGHT Project’s core work packages, implementation frameworks, and expected outcomes. A strong focus was placed on ensuring all stakeholders clearly understood their roles and responsibilities, laying the groundwork for coordinated, evidence-based interventions that can generate long-term impact.
The workshop convened a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including representatives from regional government institutions, basin offices, universities, development partners, and civil society.
The participants indicated their readiness to collaborate in implementing the project. The BRIGHT Project is financed by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the European Union with also MoWE and WLRC contributing in different forms. BRIGHT will be implemented in the basins through the end of 2028.
As part of the launch activities, a field visit to the Hare hotspot area was organized by Dr. Yilkal Anteneh, Land and Ecosystems Division Director, at WLRC and the Wetland restoration thematic lead for BRIGHT project. This excursion aimed to provide participants with first-hand insight into some of the complex environmental challenges facing the basin. During the visit, the team observed significant issues such as land degradation, soil erosion, the expansion of agriculture into fragile ecosystems, silt accumulation in irrigation canals, and the encroachment of illegal settlements. The tour also highlighted ongoing problems related to inter-catchment water transfer and deforestation—issues that have direct implications for both ecosystem stability and local livelihoods.