Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy has completed the €75 million Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Programme that has expanded access to water and sanitation services in 43 towns across the country.
Implemented with support from Team Europe partners — the European Investment Bank (EIB Global), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), and the European Commission — the initiative is expected to benefit approximately 2.11 million people in eight Ethiopian regions.
The programme delivered a wide range of infrastructure works aimed at strengthening urban water services. Investments included the development of new water sources through deep groundwater wells and spring schemes, alongside the construction and rehabilitation of transmission and distribution systems. Nearly 1,500 kilometres of water pipelines were installed, while 75 storage reservoirs with capacities ranging from 50 to 2,000 cubic metres were built. Two conventional water treatment plants were also constructed in Metehara and Jinka.
Additional components included the installation of surface and submersible pumps, water treatment facilities, generator and pump houses, and operational buildings for local water utilities.
Speaking at the programme’s closing ceremony, Ethiopia’s State Minister for Water and Energy, H.E. Asfaw Dingamo, said the project supports the government’s wider efforts to improve urban water supply and sanitation services with the backing of international development partners.
“As a public institution, EIB Global plays an important role to help overcome investment barriers and ensure that the water projects we finance deliver tangible impact on the ground. We put emphasis on resilience of water investments through a focus on climate action and environmental sustainability. We are proud to have partnered with the government of Ethiopia and other Team Europe members to successfully implement this,” said Ambroise Fayolle, European Investment Bank Vice President.
The partners highlighted the programme as an example of international cooperation in the water sector and indicated their intention to explore further opportunities to support Ethiopia’s urban water and sanitation development in the future.
