Statement on the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)

(21 May 2021) The undersigned organisations are deeply concerned about the growing disagreement between the governments of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt over the building, filling, and operating of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which is currently in the final phase of its construction. Tripartite negotiations about the technical and legal aspects of GERD started in 2011 yet they are still marred by disagreement, defiance and threats of the use of military force to stop the ongoing construction work. Efforts of the African Union through the good offices of its outgoing and present Chairpersons Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa(South Africa) and Felix Tshisekedi(DRC) fell short of breaking through the deadlock so far. Due to this unusual situation, pressure is mounting, especially as thedates for Ethiopia’s unilateral decision to commence the second filling of GERD’s reservoir in July 2021 are approaching.

GERD, which is a mega African water project, is built on the Blue Nile River and situated a few kilometers upstream from the Sudanese-Ethiopian international borders. With its storage capacity of 74 billion cubic meters GERD is, therefore, the largest dam in Africa and the 15th largest hydroelectric power plant in the world. The project is expected to have profound effects on the future of the three countries and the African sub-region. While it represents an important development opportunity for Ethiopia as its prime owner, the impact of GERD on Sudan and Egypt cannot be overlooked. GERD is expected to boost socio-economic development in Ethiopia, regulate water flow and reduce the annual floods during the rainy season which will enable Sudan to better manage its irrigation and hydroelectric power system, yet the dam will dramatically change the water flow regime of the Blue Nile River by flattening its hydrograph thus causing significant negative impact on Sudan and Egypt.

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