Ethiopia will raise the daily supply of safe drinking water to Djibouti from 20,000 cubic meters to 100,000 cubic meters, the state-run Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported, citing the country's Ministry of Water and Energy Habtamu Itefa.
Under the Ethio-Djibouti drinking water project, water from the underground wells in the Somali region reportedly travels a distance of 258 kilometers to reach the city of Djibouti.
According to the media, Itefa recently met with the Director General of the Djibouti Consulate in the Ethiopian city of Dire Dawa, Ambassador Mussa Haji Jemal. Together, the officials observed the project's activities and decided to implement some improvement works to enhance the water supply.
The improvements will allow the use of electricity instead of gas to draw water from the well, Itefa said. He added that they will be completed in a month.
Itefa also noted that the project facilitates the economic integration of the two countries and points to the joint regional development.
The roads linking the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, and the port of Djibouti is the main trade route for landlocked Ethiopia following Eritrea's independence in 1993.