Ethiopia is currently experiencing a remarkable transformation in irrigation development

Ethiopia is currently experiencing a remarkable transformation in irrigation development, driven by both climate change and socioeconomic challenges. Ethiopia is addressing long-standing challenges in project implementation, infrastructure, and management with new standards for sustainable irrigation development. There are new approaches to irrigation. Agropastoralism instead of pure livestock farming—that is the future. In regions like the Afar Desert, semi-nomadic communities are striving to transition from pastoralism to agropastoralism. This means practicing arable farming alongside livestock farming—with the help of resource-efficient irrigation systems. Cisterns and micro-landscape structures are needed. Rainwater is collected during the rainy season and stored in cisterns. Drought-resistant crops such as sorghum, maize, and millet are grown in artificially created ditches. But there are also challenges posed by climate change. Drought and water scarcity are a major challenge. In Tigray, in particular, the lack of rainfall has severely impacted agricultural production. Only about half of the arable land could be cultivated, and of that, less than 40% was harvested. The dependence on rain-fed agriculture must be reduced. Approximately 80% of the population relies on agriculture, which is largely dependent on rain. Irrigation now enables up to four harvests per year – a tremendous advance. Then there's a scientific perspective. For example, research in the Awash Basin. Studies show that this economically important area will become hotter and drier in the future. This increases the pressure on water resources and makes climate-resilient irrigation systems essential. And water remains a key resource. Water is crucial not only for agriculture, but also for power generation (especially hydropower) and industry. Ethiopia's transformation in irrigation development is therefore not only a technological advance, but also a social and ecological upheaval. Summary. Ethiopia has the potential to irrigate 42 million hectares of land, but currently only about 2 million hectares are in use. With the support of the Agricultural Transformation Institute and experts from Addis Ababa and Arba Minch Universities, a new policy has been introduced. It establishes 26 standards for irrigation projects to ensure quality and safety. The framework ensures that irrigation projects follow a recognized management system, thus increasing agricultural productivity. To reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture, the government is expanding irrigation solutions.