BY SOLOMON DIBABA
Addressing the public gathering of stakeholders on a symposium dedicated to the 10th Anniversary of the inauguration of GERD on the 17th of March, Engineer Dr. Seleshi Bekele, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy declared that the overall progress of GERD has now touched down on 79% while the second and decisive filling of the Dam will be accomplished sometimes between July and August this year.
This implies that the construction of GERD has notably progressed to the point of no return but there are still challenges and negotiable issues that require deeper negotiations between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.
The General Manager of GERD, Engineer Kifle Horo noted that the entire construction of the dam is expected to be completed in December 2023. However, there is still more to be done to reach to this ultimate goal.
GERD is being constructed on a firm legal basis as enshrined in internationally accepted principles regarding the utilization of Trans – Boundary Rivers and articles provided in the Declaration of Principles signed between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt in March 2011.
Indeed, GERD will not only contribute to the socio-economic development of Ethiopia but will also contribute to the economic integration of East Africa as stipulated in the
implementation of AfCfTA, Agenda 2063 and of course it boosts the implementation of SDG in the African region.
GERD is an important project in generating a renewable energy in the form of hydro-electric power with the capacity of producing 15,692 GWh of power by reducing carbon emission by replacing thermal power plants.
In addition, the final completion of GERD will provide an excellent opportunity for investment in the development of fishery with its 74 BMC capacity of water storage.
This also implies that it will introduce a new input in preventing malnutrition in the country by increasing the intake of micronutrient components of balanced food for children, adults and the aged.
Investments in the construction of lakeside recreational facilities like world class hotels, water based sports like water polo, rowing, surfing will help to attract tourists from near and afar. Besides, lake side farming will also help local farmers to produce market based agricultural products like fruits and vegetables.
Furthermore, the reservoir will help to reduce and protect sediment flow to the downstream and increase the service life of the hydraulic structures and thereby reduce sediment dredging cost.
Among other things, GERD will help to markedly reduce loss of water in the form of evaporation due to the comparative higher altitude in the Ethiopian territory. The dam will also help to regulate the flow of water thus helping downstream countries from flood hazards.
The above mentioned inputs from GERD are only few of the advantages that the three countries can get from GERD Apart from the positive inputs mentioned above, there are several challenges ahead that the three countries need to amicably resolve.
Despite the open fact that GERD has protected Sudan from more floods in 2020, the country seems to believe that the first stage of filling the dam will cause risk to its population is unfounded.
The three countries need to come into agreement on the technical modalities on the release of water from the dam in cases of prolonged drought season that may take place.
There should also be a sustainable agreement on water resources sharing pursuant to the international conventions on the utilization of Tran- boundary water resources.
Sudanese and Egyptian intransigence in swinging positions at the negotiation table by tabling various delaying mechanisms and by their consistent reference to colonial water agreements to which Ethiopia was not a party is an issue that lingers around seeking lasting solution.
Ethiopia is already facing the greater challenge of watershed management in and around the areas covered by the tributaries of the Blue Nile. This is critical because arresting the sedimentation from these rivers will be of vital importance to markedly limit the amount of silt that could simmer into the dam over time.
With the recurrences of EI- Nino and La-Nina incidents in the entire area, afforestation and soil management programs need to be taken seriously to be managed at federal and regional levels.
In addition, while the technical side of the negotiations is naturally based on international law and globally accepted scientific standards, Egypt and Sudan are busy politicizing the issue instead of negotiating in good faith.
Mixing politics with dry facts and scientific truth is tantamount to delaying the negotiations while both countries are eying the possibilities of further destabilizing the country to indirectly force Ethiopia to focus on domestic peace and security issues.
The current situation between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt is further amplifying the necessity of negotiations as the only objectively reliable solution to the stalemate.
Wasting time on war mongering and misinformation campaign targeting Ethiopia does not help to ease political tensions bot in Sudan and Egypt and may even backfire towards worsening political crisis in their respective countries.
With the completion of GERD in two years’ time, Egypt and Sudan will lose in their ill-fated and desperate maneuvers of destabilizing Ethiopia as the country would once again prove itself to be a power to reckon with.
The Ethiopian Herald March 24/2021
