Unlocking financial support and political will
Published on: 01/01/2025
In 2024, our biggest highlight was our collaboration with the national Water and Energy Sector Working Group and the launch and rollout of Ethiopia's national WASH financing strategy.
It all started in 2022, when we crafted a policy brief on improving rural water supply financing and shared the insights with the Ministry of Water and Energy. Our recommendations included: increasing funding for the WASH sector and adopting life cycle cost financing; clearly defining who is responsible for setting tariffs; developing guidelines; creating a national standard for service authorities; creating a supply chain for spare parts.
Beyond our formal advocacy efforts, we have been generating evidence on the need for WASH financing since 2019. We have supported a national WASH building block analysis and helped develop costed district WASH master plans and resource mobilisation strategies for multiple districts. We have given support to town water utilities and municipalities, played a key role in advancing city-wide inclusive sanitation and conducted studies and sector finance assessments resulting in learning and policy papers.
Following the policy brief, discussions on WASH financing took place within the sector and there was consensus on the need to develop a WASH financing strategy. As co-chair of the national WASH financing group we played a central role in the inception, development and launch of the strategy. We presented and discussed the strategy at national and sub-national levels in partnership with the working group and other partners. The Ministry of Water and Energy (the main lead), Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Education co-led the strategy's creation, with technical support from NIRAS, an international consultancy firm and other partners. Now the strategy document is being rolled out, we'll actively promote its implementation. It serves as a guiding document for resource mobilisation and master plan implementation in our partner districts.
Building on the success of the financing strategy and the partnership with the Ministry of Water and Energy, we also began work to bring the Heads of State Initiatives (HoSI) to Ethiopia. We hired a consultant to develop the inception report, and will soon facilitate a workshop to review it and receive feedback from stakeholders. The big next step will be the development of the presidential compact and its roadmap, and its signing in 2025. The initiative is being led by the Minister of Water and Energy, H.E. Dr. Eng. Habtamu Itefa Geleta.
Despite continued instability in the country, we're pressing ahead with updating and carrying out district WASH master plans across various regions, including South Ari, Negelle Arsi, Dera, Farta, North Mecha, and Shashamane districts. We've developed and delivered on strategies to raise funds, leading to improvements in planning, regulation, and learning at both district and national levels.
We know we can't achieve change alone. We've maintained strong partnerships with the Ministry of Health, Ethiopian Water Technology Institute, Population Services International, Agenda for Change country collaborators, UNICEF and others. Our focus on connecting water with finance, and early collective action on the presidential compact, is helping us unlock both political will and financial support.
Find out more about our work in Ethiopia
Ethiopia at a glancePercentage of the country population with at least basic services (JMP)*
52% water | 9% sanitation | 8% hygiene
The context of our work (in 2024)
Highlight publications and outputs from 2024
Bangladesh | Burkina Faso| Ghana | India | Mali | Niger | Rwanda | Uganda
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"Ethiopia's first-ever WASH Finance Strategy will raise more money domestically and identify other financing options. Establishing a Resource Mobilisation and Economic Analysis unit is essential for driving the strategy's objectives. WASH finance is not just an investment in infrastructure, but an investment in the health, dignity, and prosperity of communities."
- Zewdu Seifu
Team Leader
SCRS WaSH TAP
