Integrated water resource management is one of the priorities of the MoWE and is in line with the strategy pursued by the Ethiopian Home-Grown Economic Reform (HGER) and the Ten Years Perspective Development Plan (2021-2030). Moreover, water resources management is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG number 2 (Zero hunger), 3 (Good health and well-being), 6 (Clean water and sanitation), 13 (Climate action).

The proposed project is well aligned and forms part of the National Integrated Water Resources Management Program (NIWRMP), especially in regards to the strengthening and capacity building of federal and regional authorities, the development of hydrological and hydrogeological data collection, analysis/ modeling, improvement of management skills and facilities, conflict management and stakeholders’ engagement.

The project aims to contribute to the efficient, equitable and sustainable water resources and energy development and management by supporting and capacitating water institutions at all levels. It has “soft and hard” components. The “soft” component includes capacity building on water governance, development of policies, planning, and coordination- at federal (MoWE) and decentralized (Basin offices) levels. The “hard” component, on the other hand, includes water infrastructure development for the provision of water and flood protection purposes as well as energy supply.

In addition, the proposed project aligns with the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation (AICS) 2020-2023 Country Framework, in which, sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda are key, particularly in regards to the response to the social, environmental and economic adverse effects of climate change. More specifically, the project fits under the third macro-sector of intervention pertinent to the basic service access and that includes activities aiming to environmental protections and sustainable management of natural resources (green sector).