Ethiopia and Italy Launch €5M River Cleanup Project

Two heavily polluted river tributaries in Ethiopia's capital are getting a major makeover, bringing cleaner water and green spaces to 9,000 residents who've lived with environmental challenges for years.

Ethiopia and Italy signed a €5 million grant agreement this week to restore tributaries of the Kebena River in Addis Ababa's Yeka sub-city. The 24-month project will build modern sewerage systems, rainwater drainage, and riverbank protections to stop pollution at its source.

Finance Minister Ahmed Shide announced the initiative will also create buffer zones filled with native plants and community facilities. These green spaces will reduce soil erosion, cut pollution levels, and give families safe places to gather outdoors.

The project is part of "Beautifying Sheger," a wider campaign that has already transformed parts of Addis Ababa with developments like Friendship Park and upgraded riverside corridors. Local communities will help manage the new sanitation and recreational facilities, with special emphasis on creating formal jobs for women.

Italian Ambassador Stefano Fabrizi said the partnership reflects decades of cooperation between the two countries. The project focuses on community-led development that puts environmental sustainability first.

The Ripple Effect

This riverside restoration does more than clean up two waterways. It shows how targeted environmental projects can address multiple challenges at once: pollution, flooding, erosion, and lack of green space in rapidly growing cities.

The initiative aligns with Ethiopia's broader push toward climate resilience and green economy goals. Officials are integrating the project into the city's master plans for sanitation and stormwater drainage, ensuring the improvements will last for generations.

For the 9,000 residents in the target area, the changes will be immediate and visible. Cleaner water means healthier families, and new parks mean safe spaces for children to play and neighbors to connect.

The project supports the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals through improved natural resource management and urban environmental protection.

Clean rivers and green spaces are coming to a corner of Addis Ababa that's been waiting for exactly this kind of investment.