Gambella National Regional State

Gambella National Regional State Map

Gambella National Regional State is one of the regional governments forming the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. It is located in the southwest of the country having a total land area of 34,063 square kilometres, and long border with South Sudan, Benishangul Gumuz, Oromiya Regional State and Southern People’s, Nations and Nationalities Regional States (SNNPR).  The overall land mass of the region is sub-divided into four basins called Baro, Alwero, Gilo and Akobo river sub basins.

In general, the region is endowed with highly diversified and multi-potential natural resources. The natural resources makes the region potentially an ideal area for both commercial and small scale farming. Agriculture, forestry, fishery, beekeeping, manufacturing, industrial level exploration of natural minerals and mines and tourism development makes Gambella a standout among other federal states of Ethiopia.

Nonetheless, the region is yet to to acquire the benefit of these huge national resources through careful planning and management because currently, much areas of Gambella remains under exploitation or mis-utilized. Currently, the livelihood of the region is made up of mainly subsistence agriculture, followed by animal husbandry, shifting cultivation or farming, fishing, hunting and  in a very lilited scope, gathering and limited traditional gold mining in alluvial gold fields in Dimma woreda.

Thus, despite the availability of huge natural resource potentials and opportunities, the region is one of the poorest and food insecure regions in the country. To reverse this situation and maintain sustainable socioeconomic development, considerable efforts have been done by the regional government, however, progress in production and productivity still remained marginal.