Ethiopia will continue exerting efforts to ensure equitable use of water both at national and continental levels, according to Ministry of Water and Energy. Addressing the annual World Water Day today, Mamusha Hailu, a representative of Ministry of Water and Energy said the theme of World Water Day 2024 is "Water for Peace." Water is very important for keeping peace in the world, he noted, adding that conflicts between groups or countries could arise when people don't have enough water. Therefore, the representative said that using water equally and fairly for energy, transportation and other purposes is of paramount importance. According to him, Ethiopia is working to ensure sustainable and equitable use of water resources at continental and national levels. He pointed out that the country has played a significant role in using water resources on equality and equity at continental level, including in the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. 'If we work together on water issues, we can help keep peace. So, World Water Day-2024 wants everyone to know that working together on water issues is a big step towards peace keeping and rebuilding,' Mamusha said. At national level, the ministry is establishing a National Integrated Water Resources Management Program (IWRM) that takes the lead in coordinating integrated water resources management activities. The representative stressed that there is a clear relationship between Integrated Water Resources Management and peace. By supporting the relevant stakeholders to jointly develop IWRM for their areas, conflicts related to water and water infrastructure could be minimized and resilience to climate change enhanced. Presenting a paper on "water for peace and prosperity," Integrated Water Resources Management Team Coordinator Bizuneh Asfaw highlighted causes of water related conflicts. He said water related conflicts have increased by threefold in Asia, Africa and Latin America over the past two decades. The team leader underscored that integrated water resources ma nagement is cornerstone for water governance and ensuring peace and security. 'Integrated Water Resources Management plays a pivotal role in securing peace and brings prosperity for our planet in general. It promotes integration that we lack, alignment we lack, harmonization and coordination among different sectors and actors,' Bizuneh elaborated. Ethiopia is a country endowed with substantial resources, providing huge opportunity for development. More than 75 percent of the country's water resources, with the exception of Awash, Omo, Gibe and the Rift Valley Lakes Basin, flow across the borders and are shared with neighboring countries. Source: Ethiopian News Agency