Research and Development

■Research and Development Activities

The Plan of Operation (Mar. 2006) includes the following activities.

Household Survey 　1. Development Study in Butajira-Ziway Areas
　　1.1. Groundwater Management
　　1.2. Appropriate Technology Development
　2. Appropriate Technology Dissemination (Rope Pump Dissemination)
　3. Diagnostic Investigation/Rehabilitation of Well
　4. Village Impact Study

In addition to the above, EWTEC has been conducting the following activities.

　5. Afridev Handpump Spare Parts Durability Test (ongoing)
　6. Survey on Volcanic Geology in Burajira-Zuway areas
　7. Other relevant tests in the EWTEC compound

■Development Study in Butajira-Ziway Areas

1.1 Background

long gueue waiting for water Ethiopia endows relatively higher water resources potential compared to the near by sub-Sahara countries. Nevertheless Ethiopia has been stricken repeatedly by severe droughts, and the rate of water supply coverage in this country remains lowest in the entire African region. Acknowledging these facts, it is needless to say that boosting research and development activities in effectively making use of the abundant water resources is an urgent necessity for the accelerated development of this country.

Butajira - Ziway areas were chosen for the study, because the area is one of the type localities of Rift Valley Pediment Slope with a valuable fresh water lake, Lake Ziway, at the bottom of the Rift Valley. Any hydrogeological and hydrological findings as the outcome of the study could be applied to adjacent areas as well as other rift valley areas. Some parts of the areas are rich in shallow groundwater, nevertheless many people experienced severe food shortage during and after the 2002/2003 drought. The areas were easily accessible from Addis Ababa, so that any experimental facilities installed and constructed by the study are excellent live teaching materials for the various training programs of the EWTEC.

1.2. General Information of the Areas

The study area covers some parts of Sodo, Meskan and Mareko Woreda, Gurage Zone, SNNPR, and Ziway and Dugda Bora Woreda, East Shoa Zone, Oromia Region. The study area lies in about 30 x 60km tract of land which ranges from the high land through the Rift Valley Pediment Slope to the bottom of the Rift Valley (see attached map). Many villages in the study area significantly suffered the shortage of food caused by the 2002/2003 drought and received the emergency food aid. Many cases of childrenﾕs malnutrition during and after the drought were also reported in the study area. Some statistic figures of Woreda in the study area are shown below.

1.3. Objectives

The over all objective of the Study is to promote research and development activities of this country for the accelerated development of water sector and for the achievement of MDGs in terms of water supply coverage rate. While the specific objectives of the Study are,

1) To elucidate groundwater flow mechanism through the type locality of Rift Valley Pediment Slopes
2) To boost groundwater development and management in the study area as well as adjacent areas so as to make ready preparedness against chronic drought
3) To develop and disseminate various types of appropriate technologies to effectively store, lift, utilize and improve the quality of water so as to make the communities resilient against chronic drought.
4) To feed back the outcomes of the study to various training programs of EWTEC, and to utilize the study area as a live experimental field for the training programs.

2.1. Groundwater Management

In Ethiopia, groundwater has been used without recognizing the exact amount of groundwater resouce. Burtajira-Zuway areas located in the Great Rift Vallay show unique topographic characteristics from the western mountains which are 3,000m high to the eastern low land. To recognize the groundwater resoourses under the areas, the study will establish groundwater modeling and formulate a proper groundwater management plan. The date obtained in the study is expected to be utilized in other Rift Vallay areas even in other African countries.

*Workshop for Butajira/Ziway Area Development Study

One-day workshop on Butajira\Ziway Area Development Study was held at Addis Ababa on January 17, 2008 inviting more than 40 people from Addis Ababa University, Geological Survey of Ethiopia, Oromiya and SNNP Regional Bureaus, private consultant firms, NGOs etc.

Presentation Material
1. General(PDF32KB)
2. Socio-economy(PDF41KB)
3. Geology and Hydrogeology(PDF604KB)
4. Groundwater Modeling(PDF624KB)

*Text books (compilation of the study results)
1. Drilling and pumping test(PDF/1338KB)
2. Geology(PDF/3232KB)
3. GIS mapping(PDF/1064KB)
4. Hydrogeology and Groundwater Modeling(PDF/5436KB)
5. Water Quality(PDF/899KB)
6. Socioeconomic study(PDF/504KB)
5. Appropriate Technology(PDF773KB)


Workshop	Workshop	Hydrogeological Map for Butajira/Ziway Area

2.2. Appropriate Technology Development

This activity is to develop the low cost and effective usage of groundwater in the area with appropriate technology and to formulate the dissemination plan to the other parts of the country.

Since year 2005, EWTEC has constructed 6 observation wells inthe area and continue monitoring the water quality and water level. Among them, 4 wells with less than 150m deep were drilled by the drilling rig owned by EWTEC and other 2 wells with about 200m deep were drilled by a local contractor.

Now EWTEC is planning to install pilot facilities to each well such as Motorized Rope Pump, Animal Driven Pump, Wind Pump and so on. The well will be handed over to the local people after obtaining necessary data. EWTEC will seek appropriate facility types for each well.

(2-1) Animal Driven Pump

Animal Driven Pump was installed on a privately owned traditional hand dug well in Butajira area in March 2007 as one of the activities of appropriate technolgy. Although it might be considered as out of date, under the recent circumstance of high fuel price, this animal driven device still has a possiblitity of development. An engineer from a Dutch NGO Practica Foundation was invited for the designing and construction of the pump. It took about one month form construction to installation. The reputation by the users was pretty good at the time of installation. EWTEC will closely monitor the sustainability of the facility and impact to the users. For the further dissemination of this pump, cost reduction is still an important issue to be considered.

*See a report of Animal Driven Pump Construction (PDF262KB)

*See Monitoring Records (from May 2007 to Sept. 2007)(PDF177KB)

*Monitoring Record(240907)


Construction of the pump at EWTEC workshop	EWTEC staff members were enthusiastic about the construction of the pump	A Dutch engineer was invited for the construction of the pump

A traditional dug well before the installation of the pump	Test operation at the site	Installation of the pump

Experiment with a donkey	Experiment with a horse	Experiment with an ox

Pumped-up water goes to a s storage tank	Water tap	Users of the pump. Five households are currently using the well

(2-2) Community Water Supply System (Engin Type Rope Pump, Kuno Kertafa)

An engin type rope pump was installed on one of the 6 observation wells (TW04, Kuno Kertafa). The facility is comprises of a sink in a neaby clinic, hand washing tap at the outside toilet, drip irrigation and washing basin. Sustainability of the facility and the impact to the community will be closely monitord in the future.

*See a report of construction (PDF825KB)

*See Monitoring Records (from May 2007 to Sept. 2007)(PDF361KB)

*Monitoring Record(250907)


Selection of water committee members	Community participated in the installation of the rope pump	Test operation of the engin type rope pump

Engin type rope pump on a platform	Typical water tap	A sink was insalled in a nearby clinicx

Common rope pump installed in the same village as a demonstallation	A woman operating a rope pump	Apply to a house garden

(2-3) Household Water Supply System (Improved Rope Pump, Dobena Bati)

An improved rope pump facility has been installed in a village located along the road from Butajira to Ziway. Due to lack of water, a common type rope pump was installed in sterad of electric type. The facility has a simple water tap with a reservoir tank and drip irrigation system. Since this is located along the major road, effect of advertizing of the rope pump is expected.

*See a report of construction (PDF825KB)

*See Monitoring Records (from May 2007 to Sept. 2007)(PDF387KB)


Construction of an improved common rope pump	Simple water taps with a storage tank	Simple water taps

■Appropriate Technology Dissemination (Rope Pump Dissemination)

Rope pump dissemination activity was initiated by EWTEC in 2004 in Ethiopia. A rope pump expert has been invited from a Dutch NGO, PRACTICA Foundation from the beginning stage of the activity for every rope pump manufacturing course. The number of local artisans is growing and the recognition of the rope pump is expected to grow in the country in the near future.

*Introduction of Rope Pump (PDF/525KB)

According to the Plan of Operation (Mar.2006), 500 rope pumps are supposed to be manufactured and distributed to the country by March 2008. 500 rope pumps will be distributed in the four major regions that is Tigray, Amhara, Oromiya and SNNP regions.

In the previous Rope Pump Manufacturing Course in Awassa, SNNP region (Mar.2006), 12 workshops (including 9 private and 3 government) joined from 9 locations. Each participant was asked to produce 10 rope pumps after the training course and finally 8 workshops have completed satisfactory rope pumps. EWTEC sent a local rope pump expert to each workshop to check the quality. Now, through local NGOs, Regional Water Bureau in SNNP and Amhara regions are selecting suitable places for installation of the rope pumps.

As a pilot project of rope pump dissemination, 47 rope pumps have been installed in Tulubolo area (Oromiya region) since Dec. 2005. EWTEC will continue monitoring the site in cooperation with NGOs.

The activity EWTEC has carried out for the rope pump dissemination was summarized as a progress report (Oct.2006).

*See the report (PDF/680KB)


Rope Pumps manufactured by local workshops trained by EWTEC (Bati)	Rope Pumps manufactured by local workshops trained by EWTEC (Awassa)	Application of rope pump to a household garden (Tulubolo)

Small scale irrigation with a Rope Pump (Tulubolo)	A Rope Pump installed for household use (Chincha)	Quality tug ( EWTEC plate)

■Diagnostic Investigation/Rehabilitation of Well

During the training course of well diagnosis and rehabilitation in Nov. 2006, a deep well for Ziway town water supply (Oromiya region) and a shallow well in Awassa and a deep well in Yiruba (SNNP region) were investigated. EWTEC plans to visit ongoing Japanese grant aid project on water supply for well rehabilitation.

■Village Impact Survey

A baseline survey is being conducted in Butajira-Zuway areas, mainly in and around the village where 6 ob servation wells constructed by the Project in 2006 are located. The survey was subcontructed out to a local consulting firm. The project will install low cost water supply facilities on some observation wells in the near future and impact survey will be carried out afterwards.


Focus Group Discussion (Adami tulu)	Household survey (Kuno Kartafa)	Focus Group Discussion (Meskan)

■Afridev Handpump Spareparts Durability Test

Most hand pums installed in Ethiopia are imported ones. Therefore, it is often difficult to get spare parts of the pump after some years in rural areas. Many hand pumps have been abondoned due to a simple deterioration of rubber packing which is not a critical problem.
EWTEC contacted to a local rubber factory trying to produce rubber parts of Afridev hand pump which is becoming popular in Ethiopia. To test the durability of the rubber parts, EWTEC invited a Dutch engineer (Practica Foundation) to design and construct the hand pump spare parts durability test faclity. (Dec.2005)

The l ocally made spare parts have been installed on the Afridev hand pump and the pump is continuously being operated to test their durability. Currently, the pump is operated only in the daytime of weekdays. The durability of the spare parts are checked through a periodic measurement of pump dischage.


Consumable parts of Afridev handpump (piston and foot valve）	Afridev spare parts durability test facility	Periodic measurement of pump discharge

■Survey on Volcanic Geology in Burajira-Zuway areas

The Great Rift Valley extending in the middle of Ethiopia from northeast to southwest is a active volcanic area. The volcanic activity started about 4,000 years ago in Ethiopia and is still continuing. We can see many recently formed volcanic topography. In this area, there are various types of volcanic rocks, different scales of eruptions are observed in different geological era. It is also important to realize that the area is under the tenson stress field to understand the geology of the area. The project invited an expert of volcanic geology Dr. Nagahasi from Fukushima University as a part of Butajira-Zuway development study to brush up the geological map as well as hydrogeological map. A workshop was held after the field survey in the area (Sept.6, 2006).

The workshop includes a lecture on general volcanic characteristics and practical training. Participants were from Addis Ababa University, Mekele University, Arba Minch University and Ehitopia geological survey.

*See the report (PDF/269KB)


Section of monogenetic volcano	Volumeous plinian pumice fall	Plinian pumice fall deposit (lower parat) and pyroclastic flow deposit

Workshop	Practical lecture with the volcanic rock samples	Stereoscope obesrvation

■Othere Relevant Test in the EWTEC Compound

There are several wells drilled during the previous Drilling Technology Course in the compound of EWTEC. These wells are utilized for various purposes, such as Afridev spareparts durability test, motorized rope pump test and household water supply system model house. (April.2006)

Currently, a rain water harvesting system using the roof of EWTEC workshop is under construction. After the construction of the facility, artificial recharge to the existing well will be conducted as one of the relevant tests.


Household water supply system model house	Rain water harvesting system

Ethiopia Water Technology Center Project