Activities in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, water is a highly valued necessity due to lack of access to water supply and sanitation. In a cooperative effort to develop Ethiopia's water resources, the Ethiopian Ministry of Water Resources and JICA established the Groundwater Development and Water Supply Training Center in 1998. After completing its initial goals, in 2005, the center was renamed the Ethiopian Water Technology Centre (EWTEC) with the objective to increase the number of skilled technicians who work in water supply maintenance, electromechanical pumps and water management in order to increase access to improved water. The EWTEC project is currently in Phase III and is scheduled to end later this year. The training centre is located in Akaki and provides courses in electromechanical engineering, groundwater management, drilling technology, drilling machinery, water supply engineering, GIS and geophysical investigation. The trainees receive practical training by JICA experts, so that they can apply their acquired knowledge and skills to water-related issues throughout Ethiopia. The EWTEC project developed a fully equip facility with workshops, dormitories, classrooms, a library, geophysical survey equipment and other supporting equipment necessary for practical learning. The center even conducts international training courses and invites participants from more than 15 countries in Africa since there are no other water-related training centers in Africa that offer practical learning skills in water resource maintenance. Since its commencement, EWTEC has trained over 3000 Ethiopian trainees and 167 international trainees who are then dispatched to regional and local woreda water offices. Upon completion of the project in 2013, the EWTEC project will be transformed into Ethiopian Water Technology Institute and ran independently by the Ministry of Water and Energy under the Ministry of Education.

Pictures of the EWTEC and how the center benefits rural communities