2.3.2 Water Sector Development Programme

The Water Sector Development Programme (WSDP) was issued in 2002 to further elaborate on the Policy and the Strategy. The WSDP is a large document in two volumes that proposes plans and projects throughout all regions of Ethiopia covering the period from 2002 to 2016. It identifies priority intervention areas and projects for this 15-year time period. It includes specific targets for improving water supply and sewerage coverage, and also for irrigation, hydropower, water resource development, and institution and capacity building.

The WSDP focuses particularly on actions to (MoWR, 2002):

• make clean water available for drinking and improve sanitation
• make water available for livestock in nomadic and other special areas
• extend irrigation for agricultural development to the maximum possible
• expand generation capacity to meet hydroelectric power needs
• provide water for industrial development
• provide water for, among other uses, fisheries, tourism and transportation.

The WSDP therefore provides details for implementing the Water Resources Management Policy and the Water Sector Strategy. Figure 2.5 shows the links between the Policy, Strategy and Programme. The Policy was the first to come followed by the Strategy and then the Development Programme. The diagram indicates that this was not a one-way process. Changes in the Development Programme may lead to revisions to the Policy and Strategy as needed.

Figure 2.5  Dynamic relationship between Policy, Strategy and Programme.

In practice, these three documents – Policy, Strategy and Programme – provided the background and principles for water resource management that led to the development of the One WASH National Programme.