Ethiopia Shifts from Emergency Relief to Climate Resilience through Water Investment: Ministry

Addis Ababa, February 2, 2026 (ENA)— Ethiopia has shifted away from short term emergency responses to a long-term climate resilience strategy anchored in water infrastructure, according to Ministry of Water and Energy.

In an exclusive interview with ENA Minister of Water and Energy Habtamu Itefa noted that the country has faced recurring droughts across multiple regions for three to four decades, forcing successive governments to rely largely on population relocation and emergency assistance to save lives.

“That approach is changing,” the minister said, stressing that national policy now focuses on building resilience at the source. “Resilience means people do not have to leave their land when drought happens.”

He explained that the government is prioritizing localized water solutions, including groundwater development, rainwater harvesting, flash flood capture and the construction of small-scale dams at kebele and woreda levels.

According to the minister, these interventions are already transforming livelihoods in drought prone areas.

“In places like Borana, communities are now able to grow crops such as wheat, which was previously unthinkable,” he added.

The minister also noted that in the Somali, Afar and Tigray regions, the federal government has for the first time allocated treasury funds to climate resilient water, sanitation and hygiene projects, improving access to water for both people and livestock.

He further pointed to solar powered water supply systems in Afar, where the absence of electricity had long constrained economic activity despite large livestock holdings.

The initiatives aim to ensure sustainable water supplies for domestic use and livestock by tapping both groundwater and surface water resources, he added.

“When climate shocks come, people should not run to beg,” the minister said, adding, “They should rely on their own water, food systems and energy.”

Minister Habtamu also urged African Union member states to adopt similar resilience-based approaches, warning that climate impacts do not respect borders and instability in one country inevitably affects its neighbors.

“We are really seeing a wonderful fruit, a wonderful achievement from this kind of policy, and this has to be disseminated among our African countries as well,” he stated.

According to him, Ethiopia’s experience demonstrates that climate resilience is achievable through water security, renewable energy and local investment, offering a practical model for Africa in line with Agenda 2063.

Complementing these efforts, Ethiopia has planted more than 40 billion seedlings over the past six years under the Green Legacy Initiative, launched in 2019 by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to combat deforestation, expand forest coverage and strengthen national climate resilience.