260 Scarcity and Surfeit

schemes are between US$10 000 and US$ 15 000 per hectare and US$2 300

and US$ 3 400 per hectare to develop small-scale irrigation schemes.56 The

high cost of irrigation development is a great investment constraint that pre-

vents further irrigation development in the country. The government has

attempted to overcome investment constraints, but has been unsuccessful

thus far. For example, in the early 1990% the government shifted to a market-

based economic policy. A number of medium to large-scale irrigation proj-

ects were initiated by the government at the time in anticipation that private

investors would continue to develop the schemes as commercial farms.

However, investors have not done so and the schemes have been abandoned

(see Table 4).

Table 4: Suspended large and medium-scale schemes57

I Projecf / Hectares 1 Remark I

Lower Omo irrigation project / 10 000 / 1 200 ha developed but not operational

Gode irrigation project

Total

8 000

Meki-Zwai iirigation project

Alaba-Kulito irrigation project

Borkena irrigation project

Angelele irrigation project

Rural Water Supply

Diversion weir completed

Alwero irrigation project ( 10 000

The provision of water supplies in Ethiopia is among the lowest in Africa. The
strong bias toward urban development historically means that the provision of
water supplies in rural areas is particularly low. In 1996 an estimated 19% of
the rural and 80% of the urban population (31.3% excluding the capital Addis
Ababa) had access to safe water. The overall total for Ethiopia is only 26%. In
addition, water is rarely treated in rural areas, meaning that access to potable
water is restricted to wells and protected springs. Thus the great majority of
Ethiopians use unsafe and polluted water, and are at risk for a great variety of
water-borne diseases.s8

Dam completed

3 000

3 700

3 000

3 000

1 000 ha developed but not operotional

-

Construction of dam started but abandoned

Construction of dam started but abandoned

1 000 ha developed