Awash River

The Awash River is a major river in Ethiopia. It flows entirely within Ethiopia and ends in a chain of lakes, including Lake Abbe, near the border with Djibouti. The river drains a large area that includes parts of the Amhara, Oromia, Somali Regions, and the Afar Region.

The Awash River area has two main rainy seasons each year. However, climate change may make the river less full in the future because of higher temperatures and less rain.

The Awash River basin is very important to Ethiopia. Many people live there, and it is used for farming, industry, and cities. However, this use has caused pollution from factories, farms, and city waste.

The Awash Valley is famous for its ancient human fossils. One of the most famous fossils, called "Lucy", was found there. Because of its importance to learning about human history, this area was named a World Heritage List site by UNESCO in 1980.

Geography

The Awash River is a big river in Ethiopia that is 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) long. It begins in the central highlands of Ethiopia at a height of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) and flows through many places before ending at Lake Abbe, close to the border with Djibouti. The river passes through areas such as the Great Rift Valley and near towns like Addis Ababa and Adama.

The Awash River has many smaller rivers that flow into it, called tributaries. Some of these include the Logiya, Mille, Borkana, and Dukem Rivers. There are also interesting places along the river, such as hot springs and swamps.

Climate

The climate around the Awash River is mainly affected by the movement of the intertropical convergence zone. This movement creates two rainy seasons: a shorter one around March, called Belg, and a longer one between June and September, called Kiremt. Between October and March is a dry season named Bega. The area near the Rift Valley is dry, while the highlands get a lot of rain.

A study in 2018 looked at how effects of climate change might change water resources in the Awash basin. The study used different climate models to see what might happen in the future. The models showed that warmer temperatures and less rain could make water harder to find, which would affect many parts of the area.

Hydrology

Rainfall, droughts and floods

Rainfall changes a lot in the Awash River area from year to year. This makes it hard to plan for things like farming and clean water for homes. Sometimes, heavy rains in July and August cause floods. These floods look different in various parts of the river. In cities, fast floods and overflowing rivers can happen.

As more people farm, build factories, and move to cities, the river’s water becomes more important. The area often faces dry spells and floods, and changes in weather may make these problems worse. Good plans for using water need to think about everyone who needs it.

Groundwater

Groundwater, which is water under the ground, refills differently in various places. It fills more in high areas with lots of rain and less in lower areas. Many people and businesses in this area depend on groundwater. Managing this water well is important because of growing cities, climate changes, and many other activities.

Ecology

The Awash River area is home to many different kinds of plants and animals. In higher places, you can find special forests, grasslands, and moorlands. In lower, drier areas, there are bushlands and thickets.

The lower part of the Awash Valley is important for protecting some rare animals, like the African wild ass. Other animals that live here include Beisa Oryx, Soemmering's gazelle, Dorcas gazelle, gerenuk, Grevy's zebra, and crocodiles in the river.

Human activities and impacts

The Awash River area is very busy and crowded, with over 18 million people living there. It has many farms and big factories, like sugar factories in Wenji, Methara, and Kesem.

Water supply

Many big cities, such as Addis Ababa, Mojo, and Adama, get their water from the Awash River and its smaller streams. The river also helps grow crops like sugarcane.

Economic activities

Most people in the Awash area work in farming or services, especially in Addis Ababa. Farming uses most of the water and is very important for the area's economy. Crops like teff, maize, sorghum, beans, and vegetables grow well there. However, there are very few forests, and most trees are only in high places. Animals often eat crops, which can damage the land.

Pollution

Not many places clean the water properly in the Awash River area. Factories and cities often dump waste into the river, making it dirty. This waste includes chemicals from farms and factories like tanneries, paint makers, and hospitals. The river has too much of certain metals, which can be harmful to people and animals.

Water quality

In 2023, scientists found that the river water had high levels of metals that are not good to drink. The river water is used for drinking and farming, so this is a big problem. There are also other harmful chemicals in the water, like some medicines and farm chemicals. These can get into the groundwater too, making it unsafe to drink. Many places where people get water from the ground do not have enough checks to make sure it is clean.

Paleontology

See also: Middle Awash and Middle Awash Project

Humans have lived in the Awash valley almost since the very beginning of our species. Many important ancient human-like fossils have been found there. These fossils are from a very long time ago, between about 5.6 and 2.5 million years back. Some of the most famous discoveries include "Lucy," an important early human ancestor, as well as other ancient human relatives like Homo erectus and Ardipithecus.

History

In the 16th century, the Awash River was known as the great Dir river and flowed through the land of the Muslims.

20th Century

In 1933/1934, the first European to follow the Awash River all the way to its end was Wilfred Thesiger. He began at the city of Awash, traced the river to where it ends in Lake Abhebad, and then continued his journey east to Tadjoura. (Another explorer, L. M. Nesbitt, had followed parts of the river in 1928 but turned north toward the Red Sea before reaching the end.)

In 1960, the Koka Dam was built across the Awash River, about 75 kilometres (47 mi) from Addis Ababa. The dam provided a lot of hydroelectric power to the area. The dam created a large freshwater lake called Lake Gelila, also known as the Koka Reservoir, covering around 180 square kilometres (69 sq mi). Both the lake and the dam face problems from increasing sedimentation.

Society and culture

The valley of the Awash River, especially around 9° North, is where the Afar people and the Issa Somali clan have traditionally lived. This area has also been part of regions called Fatagar, Ifat, and Shewa.

There is a bank called the Awash International Bank, which is named after the Awash River.