Browsing: Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)

Egypt and Sudan, both of which are located further downstream on the Nile, on the one hand, and Ethiopia, which is located upstream on the Blue Nile, on the other, have been engaged in a protracted disagreement on the construction of the GERD.

The two former countries are dependent on the waters of the Nile, and they are afraid that the reservoir being filled behind the dam will reduce the amount of water available to them. The reservoir has a capacity of 74 cubic kilometres, which is equivalent to 1.6 years of the average flow of the Blue Nile.

The Nile provides Egypt with 90 per cent of its fresh water and is essential to the country’s agricultural and power generation systems.

It is estimated that the filling will take seven years to complete, with the first two stages already having been finished. According to statements made before the end …

In the wake of the ongoing devastating drought that continues to ravage the Horn of Africa at an alarming rate, it is imperative to urgently redress Africa’s perennial water crisis. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that communities in the Horn of Africa are experiencing one of the most severe La Niña-induced droughts leading Kenya and Somalia to declare national emergencies due to poor and unpredictable rainy seasons. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), an estimated 13 million people are grappling with a major drought caused by the driest conditions since 1981.

This has been the aftermath of three failed rainy seasons in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia that have led to extreme water shortages, consequently leading to the decimation of crops and livestock deaths, forcing families from their homes and triggering conflict between communities. The root of this deleterious crisis has been climate …

Ethiopia rejected a proposal by Egypt to operate on the $4 billion hydropower dam Ethiopia is building on the Nile.

This rejection is further deepening the disputes between the two nations over the project being conducted by Ethiopia.

In a press conference in Addis Ababa Ethiopia’s capital, Sileshi Beleke, minister for water, irrigation and energy described Egypt’s plan, which includes the volume of water it wants the dam to release annually as “inappropriate”

He further said that the proposal from Egypt was unilaterally decided and did not consider their previous agreements.

“We can’t agree with this…we will prepare our counter-proposal.”

In 2011, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) was announced, it is designed to be the centrepiece of Ethiopia’s bid to become Africa’s biggest power exporter, generating more than 6,000 megawatts.

The dam has been the center of disagreements between Ethiopia and Egypt as the two countries disagree over the …