By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
December 1, 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) – The International Panel of experts which was set by Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan to assess the impact of Ethiopia’s controversial Nile dam project has continued its study despite fresh political turmoil in Cairo over a decree that gives Egypt’s president a sweeping new power.
The panel of experts’ also known as tripartite committee has held its fourth meeting in Addis Ababa this week to further review the impact of Ethiopia’s grand renaissance dam.
During the meeting held from 26-28 November, the team has evaluated a document presented by Addis Ababa which details the benefit the project offers to down stream countries of Egypt and Sudan.
The tripartite committee has evaluated and studied the documents and the possible environmental impacts of the Dam as well as its socio-economic benefits according to Engineer Simegnew Bekele, Project Manager of Ethiopia’s renaissance dam.
The document also provided details on the construction of the mega dam and other environmental studies made on site.
Following the meeting, the team of Experts has paid a visit to the construction site which is located in Benishangul Gumuz region, some 30 kilometers from borders to Sudan.
After Ethiopia launched the construction of the Grand dam, Africa’s biggest, in Nile River, Egypt which fears will reduce the water flow immediately raised a strong protest against the project and urged international donors to refrain from funding the mega dam.
During Mubarek era, Egypt has refused to negotiate over equitable utilization of the water resources instead Cairo said any dam construction along the river Nile will be a “national security threat” and warned upstream countries from doing so, some thing which was seen as a sign of aggression by up stream countries particularly Ethiopia which is a source to over 85% of the Nile water.
According to a document published by the whistle-blowing organization Wikileaks, Egypt’s Mubarak regime had agreed with Sudanese government to build air base in western Darfur region to carry out air strikes against Ethiopia’s mega Dam. An allegation both Cairo and Khartoum denied.
However the issue of Nile water now seems to be far from being a top priority for post-Mubarak Egyptian leaders who are tied up to settle a new and escalating political crises as angry protesters maintain Mohamed Mursi decree defiance.
Ethiopia which self-funds the $ 5 billion mega-dams project says construction is on track to complete dam by 2015.currently some 14 percent of the construction is accomplished.
The international panel of experts which was set to build trust and transparency among Nile riparian states is expected to reveal and submit its final findings on dam’s impact to the governments of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan, in May 2013.
The grand renaissance dam has a power generating capacity of 6,000MW and when completed it will enable the horn of Africa’s nation to export more power to its neighbors.
Currently Ethiopia is exporting hydro power processed electricity to Djibouti and Sudan. It will soon start exports to Kenya, according to the state utility, Ethiopia Electric and Power Corporation (EEPCo).
Recently South Sudan has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ethiopian government to build transmission line that will connect their power grids there by enabling the Africa’s newest nation import power.
http://www.sudantribune.com
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