Geography: Water and drainage

• The general patterns of major river basins in Ethiopia are determined by topographical structures which can be clarified as:

  a. The topography of the outward sloping of the Western and Southeastern plateaus

  b. The structural formation of the Rift Valley with its in-ward- sloping escarpments resulting mainly in an inland drainage system.

  c. Faults and joints that structurally influence part of the courses of many rivers.
• Rivers in Ethiopia have been classified into three categories based on their flow characteristics.

  a) Perennial Rivers - These are rivers that flow throughout the year

  b) Seasonal Rivers - These are rivers that only flow during the rainy season

  c) Intermittent Rivers - These are rivers that only flow when there is heavy rainfall or snow melt.