Why is FAQ needed on GERD?

Over the past years, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has significantly attracted the attention of the media, scientific communities, political power corridors of the West, and the general public. There are over 6300 scientific contributions and at least two books written on the dam. Most of these publications are not readily accessible to the general public. Online information available about the dam is also fragmented, thus, insufficient for those with an appetite for comprehensive information. As a way of filling this information gap, the Ethiopian International Professional Support for Abay (EiPSA) has developed the FAQs on the GERD.
The questions and answers are divided into three main parts:

 

  • Facts and figure about GERD
  • Benefits and impacts, and
  • Negotiations and agreements.

What is EiPSA?

EiPSA is an acronym for Ethiopian International Professional Support for Abay (EiPSA), which was established on June 22, 2013 in response to the timely need for an organized and independent professional Ethiopian voice surrounding the issue of the Nile River. EiPSA consists of professionals from different disciplines who are working for universities, research institutes, multinational companies, and foreign government bodies in their capacity as recognized experts in their respective fields of endeavor. Members include engineers of various types, economists, environmental and conservation scientists, experts and researchers of water management, trans-boundary water management, international law, international relations, information technology, and hydro-politics. Doctoral students and university graduates from America, Europe, and Canada are also vital participants of EiPSA.

What is GERD?

GERD is an acronym for Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is currently under construction on the Abbay River course (Blue Nile), mainly for hydropower generation. GERD will be the largest hydropower plant not only in Ethiopia but also in Africa.

WHY GERD is necessary?

GERD is planned to provide a much-needed electric power in energy impoverished Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, only 44% of the population has access to electricity, and its energy demand is increasing every year.  It will have a significant economic role to play in the broader Horn of Africa region and beyond.

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