Ethiopia Opens Africa’s Biggest Dam Despite Neighbours’ Objections

Ethiopia has officially inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile, a project expected to generate over 5,000 megawatts of electricity, doubling the country’s output and boosting exports to neighbouring nations.

Construction, which began in 2011, has raised concerns in Egypt and Sudan over potential downstream water shortages and the absence of binding management agreements. Tensions remain high with Egypt describing the development as a security risk, arguing that it could lead to drought downstream. Reports have indicated that the waters of Sudan’s Blue Nile had receded to unprecedented levels after Ethiopia completed the filling of the GERD. Egypt and Sudan’s greatest fear is that in the case of a drought, the Ethiopians will not release the necessary volume of water stored by this dam.

However, Ethiopia insists that the towering dam will not only benefit its more than 100 million people, but also its neighbours, and describes it as an opportunity for the country to become Africa’s leading electricity exporter.