Ethiopia - Borana Resilient Water Development for Improved Livelihoods Program (PHASE 1)

The Borana Resilient Water Development for Improved Livelihoods Program (PHASE 1) focuses on the impact of droughts, and sustainable recovery and resilience in water related sectors, using an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach. It aims to provide access to integrated, sustainable, climate-resilient and gender-sensitive water and sanitation services to pastoralist communities in the drylands of the Borana region of Oromia. The programme covers 62 rural villages (kebeles) and 12 small towns in the with an estimated 308,576 people (of which 50% are female) and 975,750 livestock. The first phase of the programme will provide water services to an estimated 24,115 people (8% of the total population) and 83,000 livestock (9% of the total livestock) in the three woredas of Elweya, Dubluk and Yabelo in the Borana zone of the Oromia region. It will provide the basic infrastructure to anchor the second phase of monitoring, which is planned to be implemented in parallel with this phase, as soon as resources from the next loan cycle are confirmed. There are three components for Phase I of the program, namely: (i) Water Development and Institutional Sanitation, (ii) Integrated Watershed Management and Institutional Strengthening, and (iii) Program Management.