Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA: September 30 (EI) — The 5th Meeting of the National Independent Scientific Research Group (NISRG) of Ethiopia, Sudan
The NISRG meeting will mainly discuss on the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile River – a major tributary to the Nile River.
According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting is expected to deliberate on agenda items agreed during the meeting of the Water Affairs Ministers of the three countries held in Cairo, capital of Egypt from September 15-16.
The National Independent Scientific Research Group is also expected to report the outcomes of its deliberations to the Water affairs Ministers of the three countries to be held from 4- 5 October in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, according to the ministry.
Last week, Ethiopia’s Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy (MoWIE), Seleshi Bekele, told local and foreign media that the Egyptian proposal on how to operate a 6450 MW hydro dam Ethiopia is building on Blue Nile river was “inappropriate”.
“Ethiopia rejected the proposal because it breached the agreement signed between the three countries on fair and reasonable utilization of the waters of the Nile River, the Ethiopian minister said.
“Sudan is still recovering from unrest and for a long time didn’t have a working minister. So, we contend in light of this additional reason it’s inappropriate to bring a new proposal at this time” Seleshi added.
Egypt, a downstream Nile Basin country, is concerned that the construction of the GERD might affect its 55.5-billion-cubic-meter annual share of the river water. Meanwhile, upstream Ethiopia and downstream Sudan eye massive future benefits through the dam.
Ethiopia is building a 6450 MW hydro dam, named Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), in the western part of the country around 40-kms from the Sudanese border. The dam is currently around 66 percent complete.
The Egyptian proposal among other many things had suggested lengthening the amount of time needed for GERD reservoir to be filled.
Filling the reservoir, whose total capacity is 74 billion cubic meters, is expected to take several years. While Ethiopia asked to fill it in five years, the longer the better for Egypt to avoid the negative impacts of water shortage, which is a main point of negotiations.
Egypt totally relies on the Nile River for its surface fresh water needs and millions of Egyptians use the Nile waters for their daily activities ranging from agriculture to household chores.
