The dam that paves the way to our renaissance

                                                                                                                      Desta Hailu

The Great Ethiopian Renaissance dam does not significantly harm any of the downstream countries. Although the position held by the Some Egyptian media and elites is disappointing, Sudan is giving its full support to the project after realizing the benefits of the dam. Despite what the extremist Egypt media and elites blabbered, the Ethiopian people and government don’t follow a path that would harm anyone.

The relation the country has with neighboring countries and other development partners is based on principle. For instance, looking at the FDRE foreign affair and national security policy and strategy with regards to Egypt states that we should solve the issue of the Nile through a principle of harmonizing our interests, and through peace and negotiation, without hurting our developmental activities.

I think it’s a huge indicator that our country has a strong commitment to create a strong economical links within the region and at a continental level, by adhering to a ‘win-win approach’ in which every side including our brothers the Egyptian people and government come out as winners with regards to our country’s developmental works on Nile.

I believe it’s necessary to understand that our country and people are not building the GERD to harm other’s interest, but to harmonize mutual benefits. Ethiopia only wants to use the Nile River together with the riparian countries in a fair and mutually beneficiary manner. This is why the country is moving to use the River in a constructive manner.

However, Egypt is claiming that the dam construction will decrease the amount of water. For this, just like it was during the days of Mubarak, Egypt is hunting down those who blabber what they are paid to blabber, and making them issue statement that’s not backed with conventional science.

Truth be told, Ethiopia is constructing the dam only to generate electrical power. It doesn’t have a hidden agenda. And the project does not disturb the water flow of the downstream countries. Our country is known for its responsible way of doing its dam projects. For instance, the Tekeze River dam project was done by taking into account the Sudanese farmers. And when the country is building the GERD, being true its previous dealings, it took neighboring countries especially the downstream countries into consideration.

The dam will save both Egypt’s and Sudan’s dam from soil siltation and this will save both countries millions of dollars they would otherwise spend annually on cleaning it. And it will also put a stop to the flooding that visits Sudan every year.

In addition to this, both countries can get cheap electricity. As the water won’t be exposed to evaporation, courtesy of the dam, three billion cubic meter of water can be saved and be used by the riparian countries. It can save them from the devastation that can happen on the countries irrigation project, as a result of heavy flooding that’s created on the Nile River on various times.

In contrast, the amount of land of our country that can be developed by the Nile is very low. The water that can be saved from diverting the River and the two billion cubic meter worth of water that’s saved from being evaporated from Aswan dam (courtesy of the area of its construction) can fulfill this desire of irrigation development so, there can’t be conflicting interest between Ethiopia   and the downstream countries.

Our country is building this dam to get the necessary electricity that would sustain the industrial sector, which is expected to take over the agriculture sector and take the lead of the economy. This is part of the larger effort exerted by our country and people to break free from poverty and achieve self-sufficiency.

While trying to realize its developmental efforts, the country is working to harmonize the interest of the riparian countries, and it’s still working at that. Our country won’t stop from operating in the aforementioned manner where it works to harmonize everyone’s interest and bridge a way where everyone will come out as winners.

This is why various officials of Ethiopian government came out and repeatedly said “Ethiopia is not an inward looking country which only look in to its national interest. As the Nile is a cross boundary river, the country will do its utmost to take into Egypt’s and Sudan’s interest and wishes into account”.

Although the finance to construct the GERD will be covered by our country; the benefit is for all the three countries, it can create any tension between them. So as the dam guarantees Egypt’s and Sudan’s interest, there is no way they can be hurt. And in a situation where nobody is hurt, it is impossible to think about stopping the dam’s project.

It is a grand project which started after the government delved into it by giving huge attention to it. It can be understood from their previous antics that’s a strategy they use to achieve their twisted mission (objective). For this we should take a look back and see the truth.

As any reader of this article knows, since the Ethiopia people started their struggle against their number one enemy poverty; they have gained several successes. The national growth that’s being achieved by the government and the people’s participation is one.

The government’s public infrastructure development program; which includes construction of roads & power generating dams and strengthening trade links, is guaranteeing the public’s benefit. In addition to this, a five-year Growth & transformation plan which envisions growing the country’s national economy by double is being executed, and its garnering results.

And with this, the country is changing its image of famine & war which used to be associated with it for years. And this fact has been attested by the world. However, it’s obvious that there are some forces who can’t accept our growth.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), African Development Bank (ADB), our country’s developmental partner task force (DAG) and other international and continental institutions have all attested to the rapid growth that’s being recorded in our country. When the truth is this, the number of sides that are involved in blackening this feat is pretty staggering.

When the GERD project was first made official, the whole Ethiopian nation, nationalities and people, without any prejudice, have pledged to give their labor, money and profession, and they have been good on their words.

Although the developmental government with the participation of the public is going forward, the number of sides who propagate that the construction won’t be successful, at every opportunity they got cannot be underestimated.

Every Ethiopian knows very well that our natural right to use the Nile has been hampered. This project is a huge heritage to this generation. This has not only bestowed huge pride on the people, but it’s also driving it to give its labor, money and profession to the project. At the completion of the project, the 6000 MW of electric power that will be generated will take the electric supply into a adequate level. In addition to this, it will generate huge reserve of foreign currency for our country. Therefore, one can say that GERD paves the road to our country’s renaissance.