While Ethiopia is relatively water-abundant, the demand for water is growing as the country strives to meet the domestic and productive needs of its population and its growing economy. Groundwater is the preferred source for improved drinking water supplies in the rural areas of Ethiopia, in part because it is more reliable, and, in most cases, less likely to contain microbial contaminants. However, there are significant areas in the country where the groundwater resources contain naturally high concentrations of fluoride, and to some extent, arsenic. Exposure to elevated levels of toxic and naturally occurring inorganic constituents in drinking water resources is one of the most important environmental issues that endanger human health. The Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) is such an example, where a large population is regularly exposed to naturally occurring contaminants such as arsenic and fluoride in drinking water. The geological formation in the MER area is composed of volcanic materials and associated with geothermal activities that release these toxic elements into the environment.

The Nicholas Institute, along with Professor Avner Vengosh and his team from the Nicholas School for the Environment, Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI), and the University of Addis Ababa, seek to understand these processes to evaluate the human health risks and ecosystem effects of inorganic contaminants, and to develop rational and cost-effective remediation strategies for contaminated groundwater. This project also aims to target safe sources of groundwater within the rift and provide reliable information to policymakers at the regional and national levels to address the issues and effective water resources management of the Ethiopian Rift. In addition, given the multiple actors engaged in water and sanitation provision in Ethiopia, this research will provide timely information to decision makers in the public and private sector to enhance the environmental and health impacts of their programs.