Water Levels in Rivers, Lakes Rise Due to Green Legacy, Watershed Development

Addis Ababa, September 20, 2025 (ENA) -- The Ministry of Water and Energy announced that the volume of water in rivers and lakes is increasing annually as a result of the Green Legacy and watershed development initiatives in Ethiopia.

The Space Science and Geospatial Institute, for its part, confirmed that its study on six selected lakes showed a significant increase in their water levels.

Debebe Deferso, Lead Executive of Integrated Water Resource Management at the Ministry of Water and Energy, said that in recent years, water bodies have been restored by integrating the Green Legacy Initiative with watershed development programs.

 

He added that the planted seedlings have prevented soil erosion, allowing for better water infiltration and increasing groundwater levels.

He also noted a significant improvement in the water levels of lakes and rivers. Lakes that had previously experienced a decline in water volume or even dried up are now recovering due to the Green Legacy and watershed development efforts.

Tesfaye Dagne, Lead Executive of Digital Image Processing at the Space Science and Geospatial Institute, said the institute studied the water volume and annual changes of six selected lakes over the past 30 years. The study was conducted on Lake Haramaya, Abijata, Tana, Ziway, Chelekleka, and Adele.

He stated that data on Lake Haramaya and Adele from 30 years ago indicated they had a high water volume. However, they were at risk of disappearing in recent years.

 

Tesfaye added that scientific data confirms that their water levels have increased since the start of the Green Legacy and green development initiatives.

He said that the geospatial study shows this change is a result of the expansion of green development and the rehabilitation of degraded lands.

Tesfaye also mentioned that the institute is working to collect data on areas affected by land degradation to align with the Green Legacy Initiatives. By identifying these areas, the institute provides professional guidance on where to plant seedlings each year.