Summary

Mekelle (also known as Mek’ele) is the capital of the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The city has experienced rapid population growth in recent decades. Mekelle has a population of 215,546 according to the 2007 census. Droughts occur frequently in northern Ethiopia; therefore, both rural and urban dwellers recognize the importance of proper water management and water infrastructure. In Mekelle, water is pumped from reservoirs and wells and is supplied to residents via public taps and pipelines. In 2009, it was estimated that only 51-60 percent of families had access to tap water.

Goals

The aim of 2C Mekelle is to build geospatial capacity for water management through data generation and data analysis. With data creation and discovery of existing data, the 2C Mekelle team are developing a baseline dataset that will be used to inform long-term water management.

Data

The 2C Mekelle project creates high-priority local and regional geospatial datasets with a focus on infrastructure, land-use, and water resources. A key component of building the geospatial capacity for local data creation and analysis included use of the CSU Geospatial Lessons and Applications in Natural Resources training materials.

Lead Partner

Mekelle University

Supporting Partners

• Colorado State University (2016 – 2017)
• Relief Society of Tigray
• City of Mekelle
• Regional Environment Office for East Africa

Map Layers