At last, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, GERD, is scheduled to be officially inaugurated. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D.) heralded the news in the House of Peoples’ Representatives on the occasion of deliberations regarding the adoption of the federal budget for the coming Ethiopian Fiscal Year, 2018/19.
The premier gave explanations on the rationale of the budget and briefed the MPs on the status of various projects undertaken by his administration, and one of them was the status of the GERD. It is known that he has been following up on this particular project, given its fundamental importance to the country and given the participation of the entire population of the country in order to realize this huge dream that is bound to transform the economy and result in a change of livelihood for millions. The inauguration of this huge flagship project is going to be the biggest achievement of this government.
This is so because the project had to overcome infinite challenges that tried to abort it. It is a huge success for Ethiopia to realize this dream after a wait of almost a decade and a half. It is going to see the light of day despite all the odds against its materialization, despite all the attempts to sabotage its construction and the various methods of trying to abort the efforts by creating issues of peace and security in the country, and particularly in the area where the site of the GERD is positioned. The uninterrupted diplomatic campaigns of Ethiopian officials are among the methods used to debunk the false claims of riparian countries that the Dam would stop the flow of water.
Ethiopia had to face not only financial issues regarding the project but also diplomatic and geopolitical challenges that had to be addressed before things could reach the current stage. Abiy has noted that his government has developed a new tradition of finishing projects in time once they are commenced, and one of them is the GERD. His government followed up on projects until they ended on time with the required standard and quality, and most notably within the earmarked budget. Projects in the past have been initiated and not completed, with immense capital squandered or worse still, stolen in the hands of corrupt officials!
On that occasion, he raised the issue of the GERD and how it must be understood by not only Ethiopians but also the countries around it, particularly the Nile Basin countries. He once again seized the opportunity to reiterate Ethiopia’s case and the rationale behind the project and how it cannot be taken as an attempt to harm lower riparian countries, but that it is exclusively aimed at producing enough clean hydropower to use not only for domestic purposes but also to benefit other neighboring countries. He stressed the contribution to the efforts of promoting regional economic integration, which in turn could, in the long run, contribute to continental integration.
Accordingly, the premier announced that he was very happy to invite all Nile Basin country leaders, including those who have opposed the project or had reservations about its successful completion. One can say that he has shown magnanimity by inviting them despite their persistent negative campaigns, trying also to somehow sabotage the construction, and threatening the use of force.
Ethiopians of all walks of life, including the diaspora, have campaigned for years using social media, arguing that constructing this huge and vital dam was indispensable to guarantee the country’s prospects of continuing to live in peace and prosperity with its ever-growing economy and its increasing population. Ultimately, we have seen that all the various appeals made to the international community and organizations such as the UN to stop the project on the grounds of the presumed ill intentions of Ethiopia have failed.
Abiy said that it was a huge achievement to showcase to the entire world that Ethiopia can begin and complete such a huge project, strategically very important to continue with its relentless efforts aimed at expanding the trajectory of growth towards prosperity. For the realization of such a mega project, it is imperative that every citizen had to come together and works in unison to support the project by every means available. In other words, the moral and financial contribution of everybody was indispensable, according to the premier. Every Ethiopian feels a sense of ownership of this dam and is proud of its completion.
Unity of purpose among Ethiopians constituted the force and might to continue with the project and reach the current stage. The key term the premier is most fond of using at any similar occasion is ‘Medemer’, which means synergy. He sees it as the only weapon to fight and defeat poverty. It serves as a launching pad to jump into the trajectory of growth, progress, and prosperity.
That is why GERD for Ethiopia means a lot of things at the same time. It is an expression of various thoughts to many people viewed from their specific perspectives. Above all, the GERD is the reassertion of Ethiopia’s sovereign rights on its national resources, far from previous prohibitions and limitations on exercising its legitimate rights to exploit the full potential of its natural resources, one of which is the water of the Nile.
GERD has presented the occasion to make it known to all, friends and foes alike, that there can’t be restrictions on the way a sovereign country such as Ethiopia today could use its natural resources while its nationals are struggling in their day-to-day lives in the poverty of darkness. After all, Ethiopia’s history is a testimony to this reality because a united Ethiopia has always inflicted defeat against forces that have tried to encroach on its sovereignty and territorial integrity, even before colonial times came to exist.
GERD has hence transmitted a very fundamental message to the world. Even poor countries such as Ethiopia can break against the belief that they should always live submitting to the threats and intimidations by countries that believe they are above international principles and practice, or use their military might to prevent them from using their naturally endowed resources on any ground or pretext whatsoever! It has also shown the world that African countries should not always rely on foreign assistance or grants to begin and finish a huge project such as the GERD. This exemplary venture can be replicated in other ‘developing countries.’
The monopoly of the use of the Nile waters by a few states cannot continue forever while the country that gave birth to it is watching the water flow by without making use of it. Many people believe that Ethiopia has been distracted by many internal historical developments that have not allowed it to focus on developing projects on the Nile. Others have even accused the past successive governments of Ethiopia of not attempting to duly exploit the Nile to help change the country.
Today, that mistake or distraction has been corrected, and after a huge economic sacrifice, there will be light all across Ethiopia. Ethiopians will make the best out of it to defeat poverty and get introduced to the 21st-century level of life. ‘Abbay,’ as the Nile is called here locally, is finally conquered and made to be subdued by the Ethiopians. It is no longer restricted to the folklore and history of the country’s artists who wrote songs and poetry about its beauty and grace.
Abbay is no more a picture to be hung on the walls of Ethiopia in calendars or works of art anyway. Today, it is replaced by the image of GERD!
GERD has also created the occasion to make right all the deprivations that Ethiopians had to live through for decades, while they are endowed by nature to use and extricate themselves from abject poverty. Like many fortunate countries, Ethiopia may not have fuel or other similar natural hidden treasures (at least to date), but it has enough water and abundant land with a large young population that can plough it and guarantee food security for its nationals.
Ethiopia can also engage in exports of electric power to use the income for strengthening its economy. The world must know that colonial times have passed for good, and there is no turning back. Certain past narratives cannot be taken seriously anymore.
Claims by Egypt and Sudan and some allies of these two countries have been debunked because there is no truth in them. Hegemonic claims can no longer be sustained because the new international geopolitical order does not have space for similar demands. That is not the world we are living in the 21st century. Instead, there must be room for peaceful, multilateral cooperation rather than confrontation relying merely on military might.
GERD for Ethiopians is hence a symbol and manifestation of a mentality that embraces the phrase ‘there is nothing that Ethiopians cannot achieve if they gather all their resources together and work with commitment and resolve until they meet their objectives.’ That is why the completion of this flagship project is very important even for the image of the country and its government.
There were times when despair was about to sneak into the minds of Ethiopians, seeing that there was too much noise against this project, accusing it of trying to kill lower riparian countries by blocking the water of the Nile. This was, of course, refuted even by the hydrologists of the countries that were making the allegations against Ethiopia.
Ethiopia, in fact, has itself hired academics and researchers to make a thorough study on the flow of the water of the river and come up with acceptable conclusions on how much harm, if any, it could inflict on lower riparian countries. Their report was shown to everyone who wanted to see it.
When some people suggested that the way the dam was built could result into a catastrophe on lower riparian countries if it is not well constructed, the government of Ethiopia sponsored a group of hydraulic engineers to study the way the dam is built and come up with their academic findings and the response was that the dam was constructed in the safest possible manner with the latest engineering skills and the constructor is among the most qualified and experienced companies in the world.
Hence, that claim was also dismissed as baseless. When Egypt accused Ethiopia of reducing the amount of water that it gets into its dams and threatening the security and livelihood of Egyptians, it was found out that because of the filling of the GERD, not a drop of water was decreased from the Aswan Dam. The claim of those who tried to make a cause out of this issue was found to be unfounded.
Furthermore, GERD is a part of a huge effort by Ethiopia to fight the damages of climate change by using clean energy, unlike many countries, particularly in the advanced north that use massive polluting sources of power to feed their enormous industries, and this has been continuing for decades, eventually resulting in the current climate and environmental crisis. GERD, hence, can be taken as an example of economic cooperation besides doing its part to pursue clean energy and reduce gas emissions and pollution.
BY FITSUM GETACHEW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 23 JULY 2025
