State of Environment Report for Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia is a country located between 33° and 48° East longitude, and 3° and 15° North latitude. It has a rugged and mountainous topography with the altitude ranging from a height of 4620 m above sea level (asl) at Mount Ras Dejen in North Gonder to a low of 110 m below sea level in the Dalol Depression of the Afar Region. Ethiopia's mean annual rainfall distribution decreases from the southwestern areas of the country, which have the highest rainfall to the drier northern and eastern parts. The maximum mean annual rainfall reaches 2,000 mm in some of the southwestern parts of the country, while the lowest mean annual rainfall is below 250 mm in the north-eastern and south-eastern lowland areas. Mean annual temperature in Ethiopia is estimated to range between 10°C on the mountains of the northwestern and southeastern highland areas and 35°C in the northeastern lowlands. The highest mean maximum temperature of more than 47°C occurs between October and March in the lowlands. The higher parts of the highlands record nightly minimum mean temperatures of 0°C or below between November and February.