The project aimed to regenerate the livelihoods of poor rural people based on equitable, secure, transparent access to land and water in a society with a strong tribal hierarchy and power structure. The project made an important contribution in terms of setting a reform process in motion and supporting institution-strengthening, notably the introduction of irrigation management transfer to newly formed water users associations and land tenancy reform. The project helped improve access to safe water for rural households and it made contribution to empowering women in a highly conservative society.Despite important steps taken and contributions made, the overall achievements fell short of the set objectives. The design underestimated the complexities of the social, political and institutional contexts. Opportunities arising from irrigation infrastructure rehabilitation were not adequately exploited to generate expected results at farm level. The sustainability of the Gash spate irrigation scheme is a matter of concern.