[WLRC, March 2024]: Water and Land Resource Centre (WLRC) Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub Project organised and facilitated a capacity building training on “Sustainable water resource management approach and methods in the Central Rift Valley (CRV)”, March 13 – 16/2024 at Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia. The aim of the training was to familiarize and equip experts at the CRV sub-basin with water resource management approaches and tools, which they can employ in their institutional assignments.
At the opening of the training, Dr. Amare Bantider said the tools and approaches trainees got from the capacity building training would be an eye-opener for the water resource management at basin, sub-basin and catchment watershed levels. The tools and models were tested and applied by the Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub project research works since 2019.
Three different models and tools were introduced. The first model is the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) Model, which was facilitated by Dr. Adey Negatu. The second model was Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Model and that was facilitated by Mr. Sisay Kebed, and the third model was focused on Wetland Management and Buffer Zone Delineation approach, delivered by Dr. Taye Alemayehu. The training was computer-assisted and highly interactive.
At the end of the training, the participants acknowledged the Project and WLRC for facilitating the training on those models and tools, which, they said, are key for their profession. The participants were water resource experts from 18 Woredas and 5 Zone offices of Oromia and Central Ethiopia regions. Finally, all participants were certified for their completion of the training.
