The tensions caused by the Grand Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia continue to persist as construction continues. AL Monitor‘s Ayah Aman reports:
“One of the key advantages of the dam is to organize the water flow all year long. Hence, we can avoid dangers of a flood and water losses caused by natural flow and evaporation, as well as alluvium accumulation problems. It will also make navigation in the Nile smoother and support peace and regional stability,” [Renaissance Dam project manager Simegnew Bekele] said.
Despite the transparency Bekele showed, as he is responsible for running Renaissance Dam construction and was showing the press delegation around the dam sites all day, he refused to answer pressing questions about when water will be stored behind the dam and the number of years it will take to fill the reservoir. The answers would help determine the amount of water that will flow to Egypt and Sudan, and represent important factors in assessing the risks Egypt might face.
I would think the filling of such a large dam will be tricky since there are downstream users dependent on that output. They probably cannot survive long-term disruptions, and yet since these will be Sudanese and Egyptians, the Ethiopians will not have an intrinsic reason to care for them. Thus the political engagement of the Sudanese and Egyptians – and, no doubt, the implicit military threat that goes with it. This is called the Tripartite Committee.
“The tripartite committee is not concerned about continuing construction or ending the project this year or any time. However, we want to make sure that filling and operating [the dam] will have the least impact on downstream countries, and will have the most benefit for [Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia],” said Saif Hamad, head of the Sudanese delegation.
The impact of the dam is to be assessed by independent French firms, but there have been holdups in signing contracts, as Africa Review reports. They also note the proposed content of the studies:
The three countries have agreed to conduct two additional studies: the first one on the effects on the water quota for Sudan and Egypt and the second on environmental, economic and social impacts of the dam on Sudan and Egypt.
An unofficial translation of the Declaration of Principles is provided by Aigaforum here.
