The diversion Ethiopia made on the Blue Nile in Guba, Ethiopia, as part of its Grand Renaissance Dam. |
Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA
Cell phone batteries constantly
dying, health centres bereft of modern equipment, a dependence on flashlights
after sundown -- Kafule Yigzaw experienced all these struggles and more growing
up without electricity in rural Ethiopia.
So
five years ago, he leapt at the chance to work on a project designed to light
up his country and the wider Horn of Africa region: the Grand Ethiopian
Renaissance Dam, a 145-metre-high, 1.8-kilometre-long concrete colossus that is
set to become the largest hydropower plant in Africa.
"Our
country has a huge problem with electricity," Kafule, 22, told AFP
recently while taking a break from reinforcing steel pipes that will funnel
water from the Blue Nile River to one of the dam's 13 turbines.
"This
is about the existence of our nation and, in my opinion, it will help us break
free from the bondage of poverty."
The
dam is expected to begin producing energy by the end of this year.
Across
Ethiopia, poor farmers and rich businessmen eagerly await the more than 6,000
megawatts of electricity officials say it will ultimately provide.
Yet
as thousands of workers toil day and night to finish the project, Ethiopian
negotiators remain locked in talks over how the dam will affect downstream
neighbours, principally Egypt.
The
next round of negotiations starts Thursday in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa,
and is likely to renew focus on Cairo's fears that the dam could bring water
and food insecurity for millions of Egyptians.
Ethiopians
at the dam site say they are doing their best to focus on the task at hand,
though they bristle at suggestions that their country is overstepping in its
bid to harness the Blue Nile for its development.
"When
we do projects here it's not to harm the downstream countries," said
deputy project manager Ephrem Woldekidan. "There is no reason that the
downstream countries should complain (about) it because this is our resource
also."
The
Nile River's two main tributaries -- the Blue and White Niles -- converge in
the Sudanese capital Khartoum before flowing north through Egypt toward the
Mediterranean Sea.
Egypt
depends on the Nile for about 90 percent of its irrigation and drinking water,
and says it has "historic rights" to the river guaranteed by treaties
from 1929 and 1959.
Tensions
have been high in the Nile basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on the dam in
2011.
The
International Crisis Group warned last March that the countries "could be
drawn into conflict" given that Egypt sees potential water loss as
"an existential threat".
In
October, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, fresh from winning the Nobel
Peace Prize, assured lawmakers that "no force can stop Ethiopia from
building the dam" and said "millions" of troops could be
mobilised to defend it if necessary.
The
United States stepped in to jumpstart a tripartite dialogue with Sudan that is
supposed to resolve the dispute by January 15.
The
biggest initial hurdle is the filling of the dam's reservoir, which can hold 74
billion cubic metres of water. Egypt is worried Ethiopia will fill the
reservoir too quickly, reducing water flow downstream.
After
the latest round of talks in Sudan last month, Sudanese irrigation minister
Yasser Abbas said there had been "progress" on the issue but no
breakthrough.
Kevin
Wheeler, an engineer at the University of Oxford who has studied the dam, said
he was hopeful a deal on the filling period could be reached by January 15, but
that additional issues would emerge down the line.
"Coordinated
operations between the reservoirs along the Nile are likely to be an ongoing
discussion that may continue for years, decades, and centuries to come,
particularly as populations grow, development continues, and global climate
patterns continue to change," Wheeler said.
Thousands
of farmers have allegedly been displaced since work on the dam began. The
US-based NGO International Rivers has accused Ethiopia of disregarding the
dam's environmental impacts, which remain understudied.
The
group has voiced concern about "great degradation" that, along with
changing weather patterns due to climate change, could "result in
irregular episodes of flooding, drought and mudslides".
Ethiopia
has responded to such statements by noting that a study group including experts
from Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan has been tasked with assessing social and
environmental impacts.
Meanwhile,
officials in Addis Ababa are focusing on the country's push for power.
Ethiopia
is striving for universal electricity access by 2025, though currently more
than half the population of 110 million lives without it.
Even
in Addis, power is patchy, and the city suffered weeks of blackouts during the
most recent period of electricity rationing in May and June 2019.
Dawit
Moges, head of a medical laboratory, said the cuts drove up his generator costs
and, because they were not predictable, led to delayed results and unreliable
blood sample readings.
"You've
collected specimens, you're processing the specimens and boom, there is no
power. All those specimens, you may not be sure about the results," he
said, adding that he hoped the dam would yield a steady power supply.
"I
want it to be completed as soon as possible and go into production."
The
same is true for Harsh Kothari, head of Mohan Group, which runs five
manufacturing units producing everything from shoes to electric cables and
barbed wire.
Reliable
electricity would make his business "a lot more competitive" and
enable it to grow, Kothari said.
Back
at the dam site, this kind of talk about how the project could fuel prosperity
from farms to factories across Ethiopia is exactly what motivates Workey
Tadele, a radio operator, to go to work every day.
"We're
working here for the benefit of our country," she said. "If we have
electricity, then we'll have a better future." - AFP
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