Awash Basin Authority aims at constructing 2 more dams as part of the Second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II). The dams are said to enable preventing water shortage in the state, which has 18 million inhabitants.

According to the Director of the Authority, Getachew Gizaw, the dams would prevent flooding at the middle and lower Awash areas.

There are 3 dams that are already constructed over the Awash River; Koka, Kesem and Tendaho. Nonetheless, the El Nino impact can be seen on the river. Because of the climate change, the dams only retained only 40 percent of their capacity.

According to Fana Broadcasting Corporate, in the aim of tackling the water shortage, water rationing and allocation were carried out last year among over 73,000 people engaged in large and medium-scale irrigation development activities.

Source: Fana Broadcasting Corporate