Czech Geologists in Ethiopia: February Mission Opens New Avenues for Cooperation
27.02.2026 / 13:20 | Aktualizováno: 19.03.2026 / 14:13
In February 2026, a team from the Czech Geological Survey (CGS) and partner academic institutions carried out a working visit to Ethiopia. The delegation headed by – Prof. Kryštof Verner, Ph.D. (CGS), Jan Černík (CGS) and Karel Martínek, Ph.D. (Faculty of Science, Charles University) – presented results of Czech–Ethiopian cooperation in Addis Ababa and explored opportunities for new joint projects. The mission was actively supported by the Embassy of the Czech Republic, which arranged key meetings and provided logistical assistance.
At the Delegation of the European Union, the CGS team showcased outputs relevant to the sustainable use of Ethiopia’s natural resources – in particular the national geological and hydrogeological map at 1:1,000,000 scale available in an interactive format, as well as detailed 1:100,000 thematic maps for the southern regions of Sidama, Gedeo and Gamo. Discussions also covered options for financing follow‑up activities through development cooperation instruments, including the EU Global Gateway, and other international sources.
A meeting at the Ministry of Tourism with State Minister Sileshi Girma focused on the sustainable development of geotourism and balneotourism – identifying locations where geological features and mineral springs can enrich the country’s tourism offer and benefit local communities. The Czech side offered its expertise in geological mapping and in assessing natural preconditions for developing tourism infrastructure.
CGS works in Ethiopia with key national partners, including the Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE), the Geological Survey of Ethiopia (GSE) under the Ministry of Mines, Addis Ababa University and Arba Minch University, as well as the local company AquaCon Engineering plc. These partnerships underpin tangible results – from national and regional maps to training, capacity‑building and knowledge transfer. The cooperation builds on more than forty years of Czech–Ethiopian geological collaboration.
The mission also included consultations with international partners, notably at the Embassy of Finland, regarding a potential Czech‑Finnish project with European co‑funding. All efforts aim to ensure that robust geoscience data and clear interpretation support Ethiopian institutions in infrastructure planning, groundwater protection and regional development. Based on the February meetings, follow‑up project activities are being prepared; the next CGS working visit to Ethiopia is preliminarily planned for October 2026.
Selected outputs of the Czech–Ethiopian geoscience cooperation are available to the public via interactive map applications (e.g. the national geological and hydrogeological map and the thematic maps for southern Ethiopia).
Připravil: Ing. Roman Plevák, Ph.D., vedoucí sekce obchodu a ekonomické spolupráce na Velvyslanectví ČR v Addis Abebě