Promoting Sustainable Sanitation in Ethiopia

February 18-25, 2024 

Rapid urbanisation in Ethiopia is placing significant strain on water supply andsanitation systems in the urban areas of the country. As per 2016 data, about 97 per cent of Ethiopia’s urban residents rely on on-site sanitation facilities; 22 million people – 18 per cent of the total population -- still practice open defecation. Less than 1 per cent of the wastewater generated is treated. Residents also face challenges in accessing desludging services due to inadequate availability, resulting in high waiting times and expensive fees. 

Currently, there are five faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) in the country, with only one functioning properly. An additional 22 FSTPs have been proposed under the World Bank’s Ethiopia Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project - II. The country does not have a comprehensive faecal sludge management (FSM) policy, but it has implemented the One WASH National Program, which aims to improve access to FSTPs and promote sustainable sanitation infrastructure management. 

New Delhi (India)-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Water and Energy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. This partnership aims to establish a needs-based knowledge exchange platform for collaborative research, capacity building for both state and non-state actors, advocacy strengthening, campaign support, demonstration programmes, training, and knowledge exchange in the area of faecal sludge management. 

As part of this agenda and initiative, a CSE team is visiting Ethiopia to hold discussions and consultations and assess how an action agenda can be established and taken forward.

• The CSE team will visit three cities to hold consultations with the Ministry as well as other stakeholders. They will focus on offering support for an action agenda on faecal sludge management: development of a national policy and strategy, building capacity, sharing lessons from India’s experiences, etc.
• The partners will explore how CSE can support the scaling up of FSM in 22 cities of Ethiopia under the World Bank project.
• The partners will also examine how Ethiopian cities can be brought into apan-Africa network – the Global Forum of Cities for Circular Economy -- that CSE has initiated in 2020. This is a Global South voice in solid and liquid waste management, which encourages cross-sharing of lessons and learnings. 

About the partners

• CSE is a New Delhi-based global think tank and policy, advocacy, research and capacity-building institution set up in 1980s. The Centre is a recognised training entity and a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for sustainable water management. It assists the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs of the Government of India, and India’s National Mission for Clean Ganga.
• The Ministry of Water and Energy, Ethiopia has a mission to improve the overall welfare of the society through developing and managing the water and energy resources equitably, sustainably and in an integrated manner. The ministry is also responsible for water supply and sanitation, integrated water resources management and renewable energy development. 

CSE Coordinators

Umra Anees
Programme Office, Water Programme, CSE
Mobile: +91-9773518511
Email: umra.anees@cseindia.org 

Dr Sumita Singhal
Programme Manager, Water Programme, CSE
Mobile: +91 8884646146
Email: sumita.singhal@cseindia.org 

Ministry of Water and Energy Ethiopia Coordinators

Ato Nuredin Mohammed
Sanitation infrastructure Lead Executive Officer
Ministry of Water and Energy, Ethiopia
Email: nuredinmohammed@yahoo.com 

Daba Dessisa
Head, Urban Sanitation Infrastructure Study, Design and Construction Supervision Desk
Ministry of Water and Energy, Ethiopia
Email:dabadesissa1@gmail.com