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Climate trend and policy in Lake Tana Basin

resource management, and sustainable development. climate change and support sustainable environmental
Ethiopia’s Environmental Policy (EPE, 1999) management. [78]
promotes conservation, efficient water use, sustainable
watershed management, and ecosystem restoration to 3.6. Policy implementation and its effectiveness for
enhance climate resilience. The country’s Ten-Year climate change adaptation and mitigation
Development Plan (2021 – 2030) and Agricultural According to the Blue Nile and Lake Tana sub-basin
Policy (1995) prioritize agricultural modernization Administration Office Report 2025, several initiatives
[79]
while addressing land degradation and climate change. have been implemented to mitigate the impacts of
[73] climate change in the Lake Tana sub-basin: K
The Lake Tana Basin is recognized as a crucial (i) Adaptation initiatives include conducting
area under the Environmental Water Management vulnerability assessments, installing 17 early
Policy (EWM, 1999). In addition, the Ethiopian warning telemetry stations, supporting climate-
Water Resources Management Proclamation resilient infrastructure (e.g., irrigation and dams),
(No. 197/2000) ensures the protection and creating a 20-year water allocation strategy,
sustainable utilization of water resources for both increasing community awareness and training, and
social and economic benefits. The Environmental restoring ecosystems, Ribb and Megech.
Impact Assessment Proclamation (No. 299/2002) (ii) Mitigation measures include increasing renewable
mandates the assessment of potential environmental energy and energy efficiency, and encouraging
effects before project implementation. [74] appropriate land management to reduce carbon
To safeguard biodiversity, public health, and dioxide emissions.
environmental esthetics, the Environmental Pollution (iii) Agroecological practices include agroforestry in
Control Proclamation (No. 300/2002) requires highlands, which improves soil and sequesters
effective pollution mitigation measures. The carbon, and conservation agriculture (e.g., Fogera
Fisheries Development and Utilization Proclamation Plain) to reduce erosion.
(No. 315/2003) emphasizes sustainable management (iv) Water harvesting to increase water availability.
of wetlands and the development of fishery resources.
[79]
[75] Forest resources are supported indirectly through According to the report, most of the initiatives have
the Proclamation for the Development, Conservation, been effective, but several limitations remain, including
and Sustainable Utilization of Forests (No. 542/2004). insufficient funding, weak coordination, data gaps,
Furthermore, the River Basin Councils and Authorities and community resistance. Therefore, for Ethiopia to
Proclamation (No. 534/2007) promotes the integrated convert its policy commitments into real environmental
management of water resources for sustainable and and developmental benefits, it is imperative to
balanced development. [76] strengthen institutional capacity, improve coordination,
Among the supporting regulations is the Council of raise public awareness, ensure political prioritization,
Ministers Regulation No. 115/2005, which enforces and create strong monitoring and evaluation systems.
the obligations of the Water Resources Management In general, linking local climate change to global
Proclamation, commonly referred to as the Ethiopian emissions and policy responses is supported by the
Water Resources Management Regulations. Finally, strong positive correlation (Pearson’s r = 0.743, p<0.01)
the Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve Regulation between global CO emissions and local temperature
2
(No. 125/2014) provides a framework for the sustainable trends in the Lake Tana sub-basin. This provides clear
management of the Lake Tana Basin. [77] evidence of the local manifestation of global climate
With a focus on agriculture, forestry, renewable change. This finding is consistent with the broader
energy, and energy efficiency, Ethiopia’s Climate scientific consensus articulated by Masson et al.
[65]
Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy (2011) that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are the
aims to achieve middle-income status by 2025 through primary driver of observed warming trends.
climate-resilient, green development. The National Ethiopia has diverse policies and strategies aimed at
Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA, 2007) seeks addressing climate change, such as CRGE and NAPA.
to reduce the country’s vulnerability to climate change [80],[81] However, this study identified significant gaps in
impacts. The Green Legacy Initiative (2019) promotes their implementation within the Lake Tana sub-basin,
ecological restoration and environmental awareness including weak enforcement, limited financial resources,
by encouraging large-scale tree planting to mitigate coordination issues, and community resistance. This

Volume 22 Issue 5 (2025) 147 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025190142