Water Resources Management:
Water Quality Sub Group
19th April, 2018 WRM-JTR Kick-Off Workshop
Getafam Hotel, Addis Ababa
“The best of all things is Water” - Pindar (522 BC - 438 BC, Greek philosopher)
Water Quality in Ethiopia: a Review
Group Members
1. Zerihun Mengehas (MoEFCC)
2. Semunesh Gola /Eyob Abebe (MoWIE)
3. Belay Siyoum (MoWIE)
4. Dr Amare Morkie / Kebede Eticha (WHO)
5. Margaret Oduk (UNEP)
6. Nina Jansen (2030 WRG)
7. Jorge Alvarez /Haimanot Assefa (UNICEF)
8. Mussie Hailegeorgis (COWASH)
9. Taffere Addis (EIWR/AAU)
Presentation Outline
Introduction
Critical Water Quality Issues in Ethiopia
Status of Water Pollution
Water Quality Monitoring
Policies and Legislations in Ethiopia
Institutions Involved in Water Qality
Gaps and Challenges
Introduction▪ “Water quality: is a term used to express the
suitability of water to sustain various uses or processes” (Bartram and Balance, 1996).
▪ Water Quality:
• physical, chemical, biological and aesthetic (appearance and smell) characteristics.
Water pollution:
◦ Biological pollution – Due to pour sanitation: pathogens effects drinking water; invasive species, eutrophication affect lakes and rivers
◦ Chemical pollution – Due to organic and inorganic waste discharge from domestic and industrial practice
◦ Physical pollution – Due to thermal pollution and siltation: caused by increased erosion
Introduction (II)
Drivers behind Water Quality:
▪ Population growth
▪ Intensive agriculture
▪Urbanization
▪ Industrialization
▪Globalization of trade
▪Climate change and variability
1950
2000
2025
2050
18.4 millions
66.03 millions
119.8 millions
173.8 millions
2015 98.9 millions
Water Availability 6
Critical Water Quality Issues in
Ethiopia (1): Open defecation – Pollute and contaminate drinking
water sources. Major source offecal-oral transmitted water borne diseases and water based diseases, common in urbanand rural part of Ethiopia.
Sewage discharges – Direct liquid discharge and solid
waste dumping into freshwater bodies (sewerage coverage of Addis Ababa City is still less than 10 %)
Industrial discharges – unregulated discharge from industries: textile industry, tanneries, breweries, food processing plants, coffee processing industries, chemical manufacturers and paint factories
Solid waste disposal - Open dumping and improper
landfill site selection adversely affect both surface and groundwater
Critical Water Quality Issues in
Ethiopia (II): Urban runoff - Runoff from urban surfaces (such as
streets transport) could damage and contaminate protected water supply sources.
Agricultural applications - Pesticides and fertilizer applications are the major concern from water quality perspective. Nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers end up to water bodies and result eutrophication
Hydrologic modification - Deforestation for agricultural land, wetlands to agricultural land conversion, removal of riparian vegetation, stream bank modification and channelization of tributaries affects the physical, chemical and biological qualities of water.
Resource extraction - Mining, petroleum drilling, runoff from mine tailing sites could affect water quality
Status of Water Pollution
Studies revealed the presence of sever water quality degradation in Ethiopian rivers as a result of poor domestic waste management practice, agricultural runoff, unplanned urbanisation, and industrialisation
Ethiopian lakes and reservoirs water quality is highly degraded .The most prominent problems are eutrophication (nitrogen and phosphorous enrichment) and siltation (e.g. Akaki sub-basin)
Dams constructed for hydroelectric power, irrigation and drinking water supply are at risk of siltation and nutrient enrichment
The ecology of most of the rift valley lakes are affected by overexploitation for irrigation, industry and to satisfy water demand of the growing population
Urban centers aggravate the problem of pollution ( e,g. Lake Hawassa)
Gera Forest, Jimma Zone (Photo: T. Addis, 2011
Agricultural Pollution in Jimma Zone (Photo: T. Addis, 2011) 10
Urban Waste Mangement11
Addis Ababa
Jimma Town
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Lake and dam pollution: Eutrophication (Photo: T. Addis, 2018)
Hawassa Lake
Lake Tana
Water hyacinth – siltation and nutrient enrichment
Koka reservoir
Textile Wastewater (Photo: E. Amare)
15
The chain of faecal sludge management (FSM) system and practices in
urban slums of Addis Ababa, 2013.
Ethiopia: Acute watery diarrhea cases from 2015 – 2017
(Kebede et al, 2018)
Skeletal fluorosis
17
Dental fluorosis
Fluoride Problems
Fluoride concentration profile in drinking water sources (RiPPLE, 2008)
✓ 14 million people are potentially at risk of fluorosis
✓ the Ziway-Shala basin were identified as high arsenic risk zones
(Rango et al, 2013)
❑ Physical water quality
❑ Chemical water quality
❑ Biological water quality
✓Pathogens and coliforms
✓Macroinvertebrates
✓Diatoms
✓Fishes
✓Macrophytes
However, the type of water quality monitoring tools to be implemented are not specified yet.
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Water quality monitoring
Water Quality Contaminants
Water Quality Contaminants:
Microbial
Fertilizer
Pesticide
Heavy metals
Endocrine disrupting compounds
Invasive species
Siltation
Salinity
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Purpose of water quality monitoring
Monitoring contributes to rational decision by:
▪Describing water resources and identifying actual
and emerging problems of water pollution.
▪ Formulating plans and setting priorities for water
quality management.
▪Developing and implementing water quality
management programs.
▪ Evaluating the effectiveness of management
actions.
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Leptophlebiidae
Heptageniidae
Ephemerellidae
Baetiscidae
Caenidae
Isonychiidae
Capniidae
Leuctridae
Taeniopterygidae
Perlidae
Rhyacophilidae
Brachycentridae
Hydropsychidae
Chironomidae Tipulidae
Elmidae
Biomonitoring: Macroinvertebrates
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Biomonitoring: Diatoms from Jimma Zone (Addis, 2012)
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EPA has adopted a safety plan approach to ensure:
Safe → Meets standards
Secure → Management System in place
All poteWaterntial risks identified source to consumer
24
Safe and secured drinking water (water safety plan processes)
✓ Not yet implemented
Policies and Legislations in Ethiopia (I)
Environmental policy of Ethiopia, 1995
Ethiopian Water Resources Management Policy, 1999
Ethiopia Water Resources Management Proclamation
(Proc. No.197/2000 )
Public Health Proclamation (Proclamation No. 200/2000 )
Ethiopian Water Sector Strategy, 2001
Water Sector Development Program (2002-2016), 2002
Environmental Impact Assessment Proclamation (Proc.
No. 299/2002)
Environmental Pollution Control Proclamation (Proc. No.
300/2002)
Ethiopian Water Resources Management Regulations
(Council of Ministers Regulation No. 115/2005)
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River Basin Councils and Authorities Proclamation (Proc.
No. 534/2007)
Council of Ministers Regulation to Establish Abbay Basin
High Council and Authority (Regulation No. 151/2008)
Investment Directive No. 13 (MoARD, 2010)
The Government of Ethiopia Growth and Transformation
Plan for 2016-2020
Millennium Water Program – Ethiopia (MWP-E) Strategy
& Implementation Policies, 2011-2016
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), 2016-2030
Policies and Legislations in Ethiopia (II)
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Institutions Relevant mandate Real Activities Facilities
Ministry of Water, Irrigation
and Electricity
Ensures integrated water resources
planning, development and
management including water quality
Develop water management
guidelines and directives
Collect, process and disseminate
level and flow data rivers, lakes
and reservoirs
Collect, process and disseminate
sediment and Water quality data
of some parts
Central and regional Offices,
A laboratory that run by the
department and workshops
Water Works Enterprises To study, design, supervision and
construction of different water works
They give service for the ministry as
contractor based
They collect water sample and
analyze the water quality but not
for their direct use or monitoring
purpose rather for their client
Have laboratory that analyze water
quality at the ministry
Regional Water Bureaus Are responsible for providing safe
water, which involves planning,
developing, constructing and
managing the water supplies.
Most are equipped with
laboratories
(e.g. SNNPR, Oromia, Amhara)
River Basin Authorities Administer the water resources of
River Basin
Allocate the amount of water
released for different users
Monitor the quality of water??
Collect water charges from
respective users
Basin authorities are established
only for Abbay, Awash and Rift
Valley Lakes river basins
Have laboratory that analyse water
quality
Addis Ababa Water and
Sewerage Authority
Provide adequate and clean drinking
water supply for the capital city.
Collect, treat and dispose sewage
from the city
Conduct quality monitoring of the
drinking water supply to Addis
Ababa city regularly
Conduct quality control on sewage
treatment process
Have its own water quality and
sewage control laboratory.
National Meteorological
Agency
Collecting, analyzing and studying
the atmosphere, provide weather
forecast and early warnings on the
adverse effects of weather and
climate of Ethiopia
Collect meteorological data all
over the country.
Distribute process or semi-process
data for different users
Forecast weather and announced
to the public e.g. flooding
Offices and personnel for most of
the station point
Radio data transmission system
for key stations
Institutions involved in water quality (I)
Ministry of
Health
Responsible for carrying out drinking water quality monitoring
and surveillance, according to Public Health Proclamation No.
200/2000.
The Department of Hygiene and Environmental Health is in
charge of developing policy guidelines on water quality
surveillance.
Ensure measures for the control of water & food quality and
prevention of accidents, injuries & environmental pollution
Prepare hygiene and environmental
health regulations and guidelines
carry out drinking water-quality
surveillance
The Mministryrelies on
laboratory facilities at the
Ethiopian Health and
Nutrition Research Institute
(EHNRI).
Ministry of
Environment,
Forest and
Climate Change
To formulate practicable environmental standards based on
scientific and environmental principles.
Ensure compliance with those standards
Propose incentives or disincentives to discourage practices
that may hamper the sustainable use of natural resources or
the prevention of environmental degradation or pollution
Effluent discharge standard
developed for industries, but it is not
fully implemented
Established Environment and Forest
Research Institute that deals with
pollution prevention and control
have a laboratory jointly
with Addis Ababa EPA
Ministry of
Agriculture and
Natural
Resources
Management
Regulate the manufacture, formulation, import, export,
transport, storage, distribution, sale, use and disposal of
pesticides and other matters thereto
Ensure food security through fertilizer provision and improving
farming methods
Promote organic farming (composting) by farmers
Administering large scale land lease for commercial agriculture
Ministry of
Science and
Technology
Promote environmentally sound water and environmental
technologies
Finance selected projects in priority
areas of research and technology
transfer
Universities Have mandates to train skilled human resources and conduct
research in relation to water quality based on national nezed
Conduct research in water quality
including monitoring of surface waters
They have teaching and
research laboratories
Institutions involved in water quality (II)
Gaps and Challenges
Lack of coordination and integration among relevant government institutions at all levels
Conflicting mandates between (MoEFCC and MoWIE)
Limited capacity (human, institutional and financial) in the government institutions (particularly at regional and woreda level)
Inadequate monitoring and supervision
◦ Drinking water quality monitoring focus on microbiological coliform test during epidemic.
◦ Inadequate monitoring tools
◦ Lack up-to-date data on water quality of the different water sources
Weak institutions for water sector related enforcements
Lack of early warning and emerging issues that affect water quality e.g. new technological industries, climate change etc.
Towards Sustainability?
Environmentalist View
Environment
Social
Economy
Social
Environment
Business Worldview
Economy
Humanist View
Social
Economy
Environment
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Thank You!