ODI Global
Water infrastructure needs water institutions
Especially in fast-growing economies like Ethiopia, the lack of clear rules to protect local livelihoods and ecosystems can have very negative long term repercussions. Lake Beseka, in the Awash Basin, is a grim reminder of this. Irrigation returns from expanding farms have caused the lake to grow from 2.6 km2 in the 1960s to 55 km2 today.
As this picture shows, the lake has submerged agricultural land, inundated urban settlement and utilities, and engulfed the Ethiopia-Djibouti rail road and highway. Unregulated outflow also threatens to cause major salinisation of the Awash River, damaging ambitious irrigation projects and water supply for urban settlements further downstream. Engineering measures may help mitigate the problem in the short term, but a longer-term solution requires proper management with clear rules.
Photo: Beatrice Mosello/ODI
Water infrastructure needs water institutions
Especially in fast-growing economies like Ethiopia, the lack of clear rules to protect local livelihoods and ecosystems can have very negative long term repercussions. Lake Beseka, in the Awash Basin, is a grim reminder of this. Irrigation returns from expanding farms have caused the lake to grow from 2.6 km2 in the 1960s to 55 km2 today.
As this picture shows, the lake has submerged agricultural land, inundated urban settlement and utilities, and engulfed the Ethiopia-Djibouti rail road and highway. Unregulated outflow also threatens to cause major salinisation of the Awash River, damaging ambitious irrigation projects and water supply for urban settlements further downstream. Engineering measures may help mitigate the problem in the short term, but a longer-term solution requires proper management with clear rules.
Photo: Beatrice Mosello/ODI