Climate change will challenge the reliability of water supplies in some areas.

Changes in
precipitation patterns and reduced snowpack are some of the changes that will affect the quality
and quantity of water available. Climate change that have important implications for water
resources include increased evaporation rates, a higher proportion of precipitation received as
rain, rather than snow, earlier and shorter runoff seasons, increased water temperatures, and
decreased water quality in inland areas. Climate change is expected to affect water quality in
both inland and coastal areas. Specifically, precipitation is expected to occur more frequently via
high-intensity rainfall events, causing increased runoff and erosion. More sediments and
chemical runoff will therefore be transported into streams and groundwater systems, impairing
water quality. Water quality may be further impaired if decreases in water supply cause nutrients
and contaminants to become more concentrated. Rising air and water temperatures will also
impact water quality by increasing primary production, organic matter decomposition, and
nutrient cycling rates in lakes and streams, resulting in lower dissolved oxygen levels. Lakes and
wetlands associated with return flows from irrigated agriculture are of particular concern. This
suite of water quality effects will increase the number of water bodies in violation of today’s
water quality standards, worsen the quality of water bodies that are currently in violation, and
ultimately increase the cost of meeting current water quality goals for both consumptive and
environmental purposes.

Ethiopia confronted many adverse impacts which are manifestations of variable climate. Yet
there are indications by which these impacts will continue to influence the socio-economic
activities of the community at larger scale. The northern, southern and south-eastern dry land
regions of Ethiopia have repeatedly faced increased frequency of meteorological drought
episodes, famines and outbreaks of diseases which are believed to be linked with climatic
change. The droughts have highly impacted the agriculture of the country and brought about the
loss of crops, animals and above all the loss of millions of people. Flood hazards have increased
in recent decades. The flood hazards which have occurred in different parts of the country in
1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2006 are such indications. The 2006 catastrophic flood led to
the destruction of huge infrastructure and the death of more than 650 people and the
displacement of more than 35,000 people in Dire Dawa, South Omo and West Shewa. Similar
situations experienced over Afar, Western Tigrai, Gambella and over the low-lying areas of Lake
Tana (NMA, 2007)