Hitosa, Ethiopia Case Study
Where is Hitosa?
- A largely rural area located 160KM south of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. - Ethiopia, in the NE of Africa, is one of the poorest countries in the world - Very hot and dry plains, but have been extensively farmed for wheat, barley and oil-producing crops. - Prior to the water scheme, the people collected water from a few shallow, largely seasonal rivers and one spring - It is one of the 20 districts in the Arsi zone
Why is water important in LICs?
- The shortage of safe water is most acute in LICs and NEEs - Approx. 1/6 of the worlds population does not have access to safe water. - Approx. 2/5 of the worlds population do not have adequate sanitation - Nearly 2MILLION children die annually as a result of unclean water and poor sanitation - Often LICs are located in water deficient parts of the world. - Modern technology is not available to help them to overcome water deficit. Water is important for the aim primary industry, farming. 22 homes in 7 villages have started cattle fattening as a direct result of the Hitosa water transfer scheme.
What were the successes of the scheme?
ECONOMIC- Construction was completed on time and within the costs. WaterAid provided over half of the funding and largely designed and supervised the project. People are charged in small amounts for the water. The money is used to mainly maintain the infrastructure. There has been no misuse of funds. SOCIAL- Twenty years on, it continues to provide a reliable water supply to Hitosa. Over 65,000 people are provided with 25 litres of water a day. The project is completely managed by local communities, making it sustainable and empowering the locals. Better sanitation, clean water supply ENVIRONMENTAL- Biodiversity is increased through the region as more water is available
What were the problems with the scheme?
ECONOMIC- The pipeline supplied from the UK may be too costly to replace after its expected lifetime of 30 years. Only 3% of funding came from the government- the rest came from the locals and charities. The total cost was £1,084,213 SOCIAL- The scheme did not include any accompanying education about hygiene and sanitation. Hygiene around the tap stands has been neglected so the risk of disease has increased. The success of the water availability has encouraged migration which threatens the capacity of people the project can facilitate to ENVIRONMENTAL- No increased water during dry season for animals. It has been argued that farming has used too much water.
What was the Hitosa water project?
It was a gravity fed water scheme that began in the 1990s. It involved taking water from permanent springs on the high slopes of Mount Bada, a mountain reaching 4,000 m above sea level. Under gravity, the spring water flows through 140km of pipeline to over 100 public water points (tap stands) and nearly 150 private connections largely related to agriculture.
What are the infrastructure disadvantages?
No flow control has been installed in the reservoir inlet, ensuring steady but never high pressure in the system and avoiding considerable maintenance. However, this has also resulted in regular overflow from the reservoir, creating public health problems as animals and people use this overflow. Also, it will create supply shortages in the future when some reservoirs are over flowing and others are not receiving enough water. A channel towards the edge of the water point surround should be included in the construction allowing overflow to be led away..
Why was the project needed?
The Hitosa district has very few reliable water sources. The lowlands below 1900m above sea level (asl) are very dry and hot with no permanent surface water, with large earth dams as the main source of water. The middle plains of 2200m asl, are home to 70% of the workers on the scheme, and are extensively farmed for wheat, barley and oil producing crops. This means little water can reach those below 1900m asl and little water goes to the people at 2200m asl. However, there was a surplus of water on the high slopes of Mount Bada. The annual rainfall in Ethiopia is 510 mm and average temp of 27 degrees C, compared to UK of 885 mm per annum and 11.7 degrees C. Basically, the high altitude of Mount Bada has permanent large springs. The areas of lower altitude have less water. Through gravity the water from Bada is transported to the lowland areas
Why is a sustainable approach needed in LICs?
There has been a lack of clean water in Hitosa for a long time so it's important that clean water is managed sustainably in order for there to be enough for future generations. It is also about empowering local communities. Typically woman have to walk many miles to get water 1 or 2 times a day. A closer water source means that women no longer have to spend hours walking so they are able to do other things in the community. Ethiopia has little annual rainfall so it must be managed sustainably.
