Awash River
Major Ethiopian river, key for hominin fossils and water resources.
The Awash River is a major river of Ethiopia, entirely contained within the country's boundaries. It is the principal stream of an endorheic drainage basin covering parts of the Amhara, Oromia, Somali, and Afar Regions, and empties into Lake Gargori. The river is significant for its high density of hominin fossils, including the discovery of 'Lucy' in the lower Awash Valley, which earned the lower valley a UNESCO World Heritage listing in 1980.
- Length
- 1,200 kilometers (750 miles)
- Source elevation
- 3,000 meters (9,800 ft)
- Terminus elevation
- 250 meters (820 ft)
- Basin area
- 10% of Ethiopia's area
- Population in basin
- Over 15% (nearly 18.6 million out of 120 million, as of 2021)
- Number of administrative zones
- 23
- UNESCO World Heritage listing
- 1980 (lower valley)
Quick Facts
- Native Name
- tag1=om · name1=Awaash · tag2=am · name2=ዐዋሽ · tag3=aa · name3=Hawaash We'ayot · tag4=so · name4=Webiga Dir
- Other Name
- Great Dir River (historical)
- Subdivision Type1
- Country
- Subdivision Name1
- Ethiopia
- Subdivision Type2
- Regions
- Subdivision Name2
- Afar, Oromia, Addis Ababa, Central Ethiopia
- Subdivision Type5
- Cities
- Subdivision Name5
- Addis Ababa, Metehara, Awash, Gewane, Asaita, Awash 7 Kilo, Ambo, Sebeta, Bishoftu, Gelan, Adama, Modjo
- Discharge1 Location
- Mouth
- Discharge1 Min
- 37.9 m3/s
- Discharge1 Avg
- 151.9 m3/s
- Discharge1 Max
- 510.5 m3/s
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Awash River rises south of Mount Warqe, west of Addis Ababa in the woreda of Dendi, close to the town of Ginchi, West Shewa Zone, Oromia. It flows south to loop around Mount Zuqualla, then east and northeast into Koka Reservoir, where water is used for irrigating sugar cane plantations. Downstream, it passes the city of Adama and Awash National Park, and is joined on its left bank by its chief affluent, the Germama (or Kasam) River. The river then turns northeast and eventually east to reach Lake Gargori. Other tributaries include the Logiya, Mille, Borkana, Ataye, Hawadi, Kabenna, and Dukem Rivers.
Reader's Guide
The Awash River basin is the most developed, utilized, abused, impacted, and most populous basin in Ethiopia, hosting over 15% of the nation's population as of 2021. Rapid growth of agriculture, industries, and urbanization, along with population growth, places increasing demands on the basin's water resources. The main sources of water pollution in the upper Awash basin come from industrial and urban wastes, agricultural runoff, and sewage discharge. Climate change is projected to increase water deficiency in all seasons and for parts of the basin due to increased temperature and decreased precipitation. The basin's paleontological importance is underscored by the discovery of 'Lucy' in the lower Awash Valley, which was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1980 for its hominin fossil density.
Did You Know?
- The Awash River empties into Lake Gargori.
- The Awash River basin covers 10% of Ethiopia's area and spans 23 administrative zones.
- The lower Awash Valley is one of the last wildlife preserves for the African wild ass.
- The basin usually has two rainy seasons: a shorter one around March (Belg) and a longer one between June and September (Kiremt).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Awash River?
The Awash River is a 1,200-kilometer (750-mile) river that flows entirely within Ethiopia, draining a basin that spans the Amhara, Oromia, Somali, and Afar Regions before terminating in Lake Gargori.
Why is the Lower Valley of the Awash a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
The lower Awash Valley earned its 1980 World Heritage inscription because it contains an exceptionally dense concentration of hominin fossils, making it one of the most important sites in the world for understanding human evolution.
Who is Lucy and where was she discovered?
Lucy is a remarkably complete 3.2-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis skeleton found in the lower Awash Valley, and her 1974 discovery turned the region into a global landmark for paleoanthropology.
How does the Awash River's journey end?
Rather than reaching the ocean, the Awash flows from its source at roughly 3,000 meters elevation down to about 250 meters, where it empties into Lake Gargori as part of a closed (endorheic) drainage basin.
How important is the Awash basin to Ethiopia's population?
The Awash's drainage basin covers about 10% of Ethiopia's total area yet supports over 15% of the country's people—nearly 18.6 million residents spread across 23 administrative zones.
More in World Heritage Sites in Ethiopia 1-22
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record