Addis Ababa, 23 July 2014 (WIC) - Ethiopia is in a better position to sustainably and equitably utilize the Nile with the scientific knowledge provided by the country’s scholars, said Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy (MoWIE).
Minister Alemayehu Tegenu, on a two day symposium concluded Tuesday at Bishoftu, has elucidated the position of Ethiopian government on sustainable and equitable Nile water management with the support of research outputs conducted by Ethiopian scholars.
Various research papers aimed at to further consolidate understanding of the Nile hydrology and geology, soil and water conservation issues have been entertained in the symposium.
Dr Seifu Kebede from the Addis Ababa University said the colossal Ethiopian dam saves water 200 times than the high Aswan Dam, benefiting both the downstream countries of Sudan and Egypt.
Dr Elias Lemi who presented a study on dam safety with regard to integrated geophysics and geodetic approaches articulated the region where the grand dam is being built is proved to be not prone to earthquake.
Currently, placing of Roller Compact Concrete is taking place and one million cubic meters RCC has been placed on the dam marking an important step forward.
The Growth and Transformation Plan of Ethiopia aims to increase the energy sector of the country by over 30% rate each year so as to join middle income nations in 2025.
It is with this intention that the nation is constructing one of the major flagship projects, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Hydro Power Dam (GERD) which can generate 6000 Mega Watts. (ERTA)