[May 1–2, 2026 – Hawassa] The Water and Land Resource Center (WLRC) and the Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE), together with the Rift Valley Lakes Basin Office (RVLB), convened a two-day stakeholder validation workshop on the Basin Plan Technical Audit and IWRM Resource Mapping and Assessment Report, which were done as part of the activities , supported by the BRIGHT Project.
The workshop brought together over 50 key stakeholders from four regional states, the RVLB Administration Office of MoWE, MoWE and WLRC, reflecting a strong multi-institutional commitment to improving basin-level water governance.
The primary objective of the workshop was to validate findings from the RVLB Basin Plan Technical Audit and the IWRM Resource Mapping and Assessment, while aligning stakeholders on critical gaps, priority actions, and coordinated interventions needed to strengthen Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) at both basin and national levels.
The event was officially opened by Mr. Debebe Deferso, Lead Executive Officer at MoWE, who underscored the importance of basin planning and meaningful coordinated stakeholder engagement in advancing IWRM.
Dr. Buzuneh Asefaw, NIWRMP and Basin Plan Preparation and Revision Thematic Leader for the BRIGHT Project, presented an overview of the basin plan preparation process at national and basin levels.
Mr. Abebe Asele, RVLB Basin Plan Desk Head, provided a detailed account of the RVLB Basin Plan preparation process, including insights from the technical audit, key milestones, and accomplishments from plan development through to audit evaluation.
The workshop also featured in-depth technical presentations by RVLB experts on the performance and audit findings of the four sub-basins—Ziway-Shalla, Hawassa, Abaya-Chamo, and Chew-Bahir—based on national planning guidelines. These sessions enabled stakeholders to critically review findings and contribute informed inputs toward strengthening basin planning and implementation.
The workshop concluded with constructive discussions that inform the refinement of the basin plan and enhance coordinated action for sustainable IWRM across the RVL Basin.
