Henk Gijselhart, Capacity Building Expert- Technical Assistance INWRMP
Addis Ababa, 23-03-2015: The IGAD Inland Water Resources Management Programme (INWRMP) launched a Regional Training Course in Multi-functional Reservoir Operations in Trans boundary River Basins with a focus on the Ethiopia-Kenya shared Omo River Basin this morning in Addis Ababa.
The five-day training course has been coordinated by staff from Arba Minch University of Ethiopia as the leading institution with assistance from the Kenya based Egerton University, the Spate Irrigation Network hosted at Mekelle University of Ethiopia (coordinating this training in Addis Ababa), and the Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy of Ethiopia as for the design, preparation, and execution of the course.
A total of twelve officials and professionals from water sector ministries from Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda are participating in this course along thirteen of their peers from the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy.
The goal of the training is to train Water Resources Professionals and practitioners from Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member countries, on multi-functional reservoir operations in Trans boundary river basin within integrated river basin management approach. Upon completion of this training, the trainees will able to plan and manage reservoir operations in Trans boundary river basins without compromising the environmental compatibility, social acceptability and its economic viability.
The regional training program wants to promote the linkage between the on-going study contracts on the Omo River and Lake Turkana basin both shared by Ethiopia and Kenya. This regional training course integrates certain aspects of water policy and legal aspects of trans-boundary river basins in the course using the Omo Gibe Basin as a case study. The course has six modules to be delivered with the help of case study from Omo Gibe Basin. Flood Based Farming System and Water Harvesting Techniques will be presented by the Spate Network Ethiopia (Mekelle University). Environmental Impact Assessment and Watershed Management, Erosion & Forestation are handled by Egerton University (Kenya). Policy and legal aspects of Transboundary Rivers will be given by representatives from the Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy of Ethiopia. Reservoir operations in trans-boundary river basins and Decision Support System are handled by the Ethiopian Arba Minch University staff.
Mr Ermias Alemu, Course Director of the training, said the training will give a platform to IGAD region water professionals to discuss on the trans-boundary river basin issues based on evidences. He wished the 25 professionals a very pleasant stay in Addis Ababa and urged them to work together in the coming days for a better collaboration in the future.
INWRMP is an IGAD programme funded by the European Union.
