The Water and Land Resource Centre (WLRC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE) and the Rift Valley Lakes Basin Authority (RVLBA), organized a two-day workshop from April 3–4, 2026, in Arba Minch. Supported by the BRIGHT Project, the Workshop aimed to establish multi-stakeholder platforms for the Abaya‑Chamo Sub‑Basin and Chew Bahir Sub‑Basin, with the purpose of strengthening inclusive water governance and promote coordinated action among key stakeholders.
The event was officially opened by Ato Habtemariam Tilahun, Hydrology and Basin Information Lead Executive Officer (LEO) at the FDRE Ministry of Water and Energy (MOWE), and Dr. Wondimu T., Head of RVLBAO emphasized the urgency of effective water resource management and highlighted the critical role of stakeholder collaboration in addressing emerging challenges and risks across the sub-basins.
Technical presentations by Dr. Bizuneh Assfaw provided a comprehensive overview of international, national, and basin-level water resource management frameworks, the current status of the National Integrated Water Resources Management Plan implementation, progress of the BRIGHT Project, and the importance of stakeholder engagement in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Ato Abebe, Basin Plan Desk Head, presented the basin planning process and its current status, highlighting key developments and challenges in the Abaya-Chamo and Chew Bahir sub-basins.
A major milestone of the workshop was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) by representatives from MoWE, regional water bureaus, universities, NGOs, the private sector, and civil society organizations. The agreements formalised a shared vision, joint responsibility, and commitment to sustainable water resource management in the two sub-basins.
The workshop concluded with active discussions, identification of key issues, and consensus on priority actions.
