The Water Project Bringing Life Back to a Valley in Ethiopia

Konso, Ethiopia – In the rugged hills of Konso Zone in southern Ethiopia, water has long shaped the rhythm of daily life. Years of conflict, displacement and drought have tested the resilience of families here, forcing many to abandon their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring villages.

Several years ago, disputes over land, administrative boundaries and local leadership escalated into conflict, displacing many families across the area. Communities that had depended on farming and livestock suddenly found themselves rebuilding from nothing.

Homes were destroyed, livestock lost, and farmland abandoned. Much of what once sustained daily life disappeared almost overnight.

In 2023, with support from the Government of Ethiopia and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), some families were relocated to Gelabo Kebele in Konso Zone, where they received shelter and assistance, including health care, water, sanitation and hygiene support, and essential household items. They were also welcomed by the host community.

Today, the lines between those who were displaced and those who have lived here for generations are fading.

“We are living together as one community,” says Ponkoro, a farmer in Gelabo. 

Yet rebuilding life in Gelabo brought new challenges.

Severe drought followed, and rainfall declined across Konso, including Gelabo, as water sources began to dry up. Crops failed. Livestock suffered. For families relying on farming and herding, the pressure deepened.

For women and girls, the impact was especially visible. Many spent hours each day walking long distances to collect water, leaving little time for school, household activities or farming.

In 2025, efforts to restore the land and strengthen livelihoods gained momentum. IOM launched the Green Village Model in Gelabo and neighbouring kebeles, working with local partners to restore water sources, revive farming and support communities as they rebuild their lives.

Indigenous terracing and reforestation practices are now being revived, and communities have joined in, learning techniques they can continue to use themselves. Hillsides that once appeared dry and eroded are slowly becoming productive again.

Families are now using land that they never thought they would be able to farm. Women and children have closer water sources for drinking and daily chores, while livestock can also drink nearby.

Seedlings, carefully tended in community nurseries led by women, are taking root. Across the valley, these small green shoots are among the first visible signs that the landscape is recovering. 

Ponkoro stands beside a small onion plot, his hands deep in the soil.

“There are so many changes happening,” he says with a smile. “We never imagined water and farming could reach our land like this. Now this place can support my family and the whole community.”

He has begun small but remains hopeful about what lies ahead.

“Before, nothing like this was possible,” he explains. “More importantly, we work together. Working side by side is helping shape our future.”

Ganeme’s journey echoes that sentiment.

“For six years I looked at this land and wondered how I could make it productive,” he says. “I didn’t know where to start. The soil was dry and difficult to cultivate.”

Now, he is planting coffee and other crops. 

Higher in the valley, a group of men and women gather beneath the shade of trees while their goats graze nearby. As part of the project, four goats each were provided to nearly a hundred people, most of them women, helping families rebuild small but sustainable sources of income.

For Geneme, who was displaced during the conflict, receiving these goats means more than economic support.

“When the conflict happened, everything was destroyed,” she explains. “We left our land and arrived here with nothing. We lost our livestock and our homes.”

Now, she says, life is beginning to stabilize again. But rebuilding livelihoods in Gelabo depends on something even more fundamental – water. Eleven kilometres down the mountain slopes lies the Gelbena River, a semi-permanent riverbed that runs dry during the harshest months of the year.

Here, rehabilitation efforts are underway as part of the Green Village Model. A damaged irrigation dam is being restored, while a community-led management committee oversees maintenance and ensures water is shared fairly across the area.

The system is designed not only to irrigate farmland but also to help replenish groundwater by allowing water to slowly infiltrate the soil and recharge boreholes downstream. Two solar-powered water schemes will soon provide clean drinking water to 12 villages, benefiting around 9,000 people, as well as schools and two health centres.

Irrigation channels will increase agricultural production, and farmers who once abandoned their plots are expected to return. 

“We used to have more water here, even during the dry season, thanks to the dam,” explains Gebeleyahu, a member of the dam management committee, a volunteer group responsible for maintaining the structure and overseeing water distribution.

“When it was damaged, everything changed,” he says. “Now we expect the water to flow again. If we manage and maintain it properly, it will serve the whole community for many years.”

The Green Village Model is transforming Gelabo and neighbouring kebeles as land becomes more fertile, water more reliable and livelihoods more diverse. It is also helping strengthen social cohesion between displaced families and host communities.

“This is Konso’s story,” says Ayele, the kebele head. “Watershed rehabilitation increases river flow. River flow sustains groundwater. Groundwater feeds boreholes. Boreholes support farms and families. Everything is connected.”

With funding from the Kingdom of Denmark, IOM launched the Green Village Model in Gelabo and neighbouring kebeles to restore water sources, support farming and help communities rebuild.