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)

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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

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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

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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!