(4 minutes read)
· Ethiopia has started filling the giant hydroelectric dam it is building on the Blue Nile, according to country’s water minister, Seleshi Bekele
· The GERD construction has reached level 560m compared to level 525m last year this time. The dam, when fully completed will have a height of 640m
Ethiopia has started filling the giant hydroelectric dam it is building on the Blue Nile, according to the country’s water minister, Seleshi Bekele. The discussion of Ethiopia for settling the issue with the counties in dispute-Egypt and Sudan-has hit a deadlock The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project is aimed at Ethiopia becoming Africa’s biggest power exporter.
The minister said that the dam filling is now underway in conformity with the normal process of the construction of the dam. He, however, downplayed the filling report suggesting that the water inflows were more a natural occurrence from weather patterns. The GERD construction has reached level 560m compared to level 525m last year this time. The dam, when fully completed, will have a height of 640m.
Egypt was anxious to secure a sound deal that would guarantee minimum flows and a mechanism for resolving disputes before the dam started filling. Egypt relies on Nile for more than 90 percent of its water supply. The country is already facing high water stress, which can adversely impact its population of 100 million.
Sudan has also raised fears over the dam’s operations. Some of the experts feel that Sudan stands to benefit from the project through access to cheap electricity and reduced flooding. Not many hold that opinion for Egypt, which is fully at the mercy of River Nile for its sustenance.
