Ethiopia Moves to Standardise Irrigation Development After Completing 9 Projects

August 19, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

Ethiopia has completed nine of 10 irrigation projects implemented over the past two fiscal years, creating the potential to bring about 200,000 hectares of land under irrigation as the government prepares a 15-year roadmap to guide future investment in the sector.

The Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands is seeking to address persistent problems that have left some projects incomplete or vulnerable to resource degradation by introducing a more structured system covering project design, construction and quality control.

Yared Mulat, lead executive officer for irrigation projects research and design at the ministry, told Gazette Plus that the improved completion rate followed changes to quality assurance and project management.

The ministry has established a defined project cycle and introduced more than 25 internally developed standards covering different stages of irrigation development, from initial design through to construction, according to Yared.

The reforms come as Ethiopia seeks to expand irrigation infrastructure to reduce dependence on increasingly unpredictable rainfall and support agricultural production.

Several projects have reached completion under the programme, including the Welmel, Gode and Qeto irrigation dams. Other schemes that have remained under development for years are also approaching completion. Arjo and Megech, both launched about 15 years ago, are among the projects nearing their final stages.

The government is now preparing a 15-year irrigation roadmap intended to provide a longer-term framework for developing irrigation systems. The plan is expected to introduce a national irrigation standard aimed at improving consistency and quality across projects.

The ministry is also preparing to launch additional schemes in the 2026/27 fiscal year, including the proposed Woyibo dam project.

Source: FSX Business News