The problem of having clean water run through your tubs has been around for a long time in Ethiopia.  The lack of modern infrastructures to purify water and supply for the general public has made it difficult for many people to get access to clean water and live a decent life. Given the abundance of water resources in the country, one can only find the paradox of Ethiopia being thirsty for clean water to be surprising.  There are a number of reasons for why Ethiopia is suffering from lack of clean water. Here are the top three that I have identified for the purpose of this article.

1. Lack of commitment from authorities: - Ethiopia is a country with a vast amount of water resources in Africa. The country has 12 river basins with an annual runoff volume of 122 billion m³ of water and an estimated 2.6-6.5 billion m³ of ground water potential. This corresponds to an average of 1,575 m³ of physically available water per person every year. However, the lack of commitment from authorities to invest more in water sanitation and supply has led to uncertain scarcity of water in each household.  Only 3% of the entire water resources have been utilized for use and the rest still remains untouched.

2. Crumbling infrastructures: - The chain of water supply is also a major hindrance contributing to the ongoing crisis of water scarcity in Ethiopia. From old purifying plants to old steel tubes in which the water run, crumbling infrastructures are also to blame for the problem. These infrastructures often need continuous maintenance just to keep them in operation which is an expensive task for a poor nation. Leakage of water that goes to waste from the tubes is also another problem arising from old and crumbling infrastructures that are still in use.   

3. Poor public awareness: - There is also much that needs to be done in raising awareness among the general public when it comes to water management. This particular problem might be related to lack of education and knowledge. There are places where public toilets leak to water pipelines and tubes. There are also places where people defecate near river banks and water springs.  Such kind of improper habits have been the prime reasons for the outbreak of cholera and other water borne diseases in Ethiopia. 

Clean drinking water and water sanitation is not a privilege but a basic human right that must be accessible for free to all people. Hence, Authorities and the private sector in Ethiopia have to work hand in hand to ensure the accessibility of clean water and sanitation to all Ethiopians across the country.

As the 16^th Eco-generation regional Ambassador to Ethiopia, I will be hosting events that focus on water sanitation and access to clean water.