The Arba Minch Water Technology Institute, since June 2004 promoted as Arba  Minch University, was the first and the only water institution of higher learning in  Etrhiopia,which was and is offering qualified courses in water resources engineering, planning, design and development. It was established  in 1986  and still maintains a leading position in training qualified professionals at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The Ethiopian water sector was supported by the German Government in building Capacity since 1989; the partner Arba Minch University was assisted in developing its research potential, operating master programmes in the water sector and offering certificate training courses for professionals. The German support was terminated in 2007. At present, AMU is supported through the Ethio-German Engineering Capacity Building Project.

University of Siegen was part of this endeavour from 1992 until 2007 with a university cooperation programme for integrated water resources management based on PhD and master thesis research. AMU was selected training institute for the Nile Basin Initiative and coordinated the related research activities.
Researchers, lecturers and students of AMU contributed to IWMNet Eastern Africa and participated in DAAD Summer  Schools since 2004. Research collaboration in Lake Abaya Water Level Changes Project brought together scientists from various scientific areas and from countries across the East African Region and Germany.