Mega Dams In the Horn of Africa Killing Rivers

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Egypt denies Ethiopia row over dam study deadline | Africa | Worldbulletin News

Egypt denied reports that Ethiopia had asked to extend the deadline for a technical study on the anticipated impact of a controversial mega-dam

World Bulletin / News Desk

Egyptian Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazi on Friday denied reports that Ethiopia had asked to extend the deadline for a technical study on the anticipated impact of a controversial mega-dam that it is building on the Nile River's upper reaches.

"The agreement between Cairo, Addis Ababa and Khartoum to allow a six-month period for carrying out the evaluation has not changed," Moghazi told The Anadolu Agency.

In recent days, certain Egyptian media outlets had reported that Ethiopia had asked to extend the sixth-month deadline to two years.

Moghazi, however, said some research firms that had been shortlisted by a tripartite technical committee to conduct two impact studies on Ethiopia's dam project had asked to postpone submission of their proposals.

He added that the committee had given the firms a December 30 deadline by which to submit proposals.

Since September, a Tripartite National Committee – a 12-member experts' panel responsible for aiding implementation of recommendations issued by an International Panel of Experts – has held two working sessions in Addis Ababa and Cairo.

At the two meetings, representatives of the three countries were able to produce a list of seven firms, one of which will be selected to conduct the studies.

Ethiopia says the multibillion-dollar Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is needed to generate badly-need energy. The project has strained Ethiopia's relations with downstream Egypt, which fears the project will reduce its historical share of water.

Addis Ababa, for its part, insists the new dam will benefit Egypt and Sudan, both of which will be invited to purchase the electricity thus generated.

Egypt and Ethiopia agreed to resume tripartite talks – along with Sudan – after Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met on the sidelines of a June summit in Equatorial Guinea.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Ethiopia-Egypt talks on Nile dam stumble | Economy | Worldbulletin News

Ethiopian says the dam project is meant to generate badly-need energy. But the project has strained Ethiopia's relations with downstream Egypt, which fears the project will reduce its water share

World Bulletin/News Desk

Consultations among experts of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt aimed at determining the impact of Ethiopia's $4.8 billion dam project on the Nile's upper reaches halted amid differences between Egypt and Ethiopia, an official said Sunday.

The Tripartite National Committee (TNC) – a 12-member experts’ panel responsible of facilitating implementation of recommendations of the International Panel of Experts concerning Ethiopia’s hydroelectric dam project – had so far held two working sessions in Addis Ababa and Cairo.

"The third session was supposed to be held in Khartoum on December 4-6, but could not be held due to disagreements," Bizuneh Tolcha, a senior official with the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Energy and Irrigation, told The Anadolu Agency.

The experts' panel recommended that two studies get conducted – one on the hydrological simulation model and another on a trans-boundary environmental, economic and social impact assessment, which led to the creation of the TNC by the three countries to get those studies done.

During the last two meetings, the three countries, according to Tolcha, were able to produce a list of seven firms, out of which only one would be selected to conduct the studies.

"Each country was supposed to come up with its proposals that comprise technical evaluation of the firms, but during a preparatory conference in Cairo on November 4, a disagreement occurred as to the points to be included in the studies," Tolcha said, declining to give further details.

"The matter has since been referred to the relevant ministers of the three countries so that they resolve the matter," he said. "Though minor, that disagreement has come as a stumbling block against the progress of the tripartite talks."

Ethiopian says the dam project is meant to generate badly-need energy. But the project has strained Ethiopia's relations with downstream Egypt, which fears the project will reduce its water share.

Addis Ababa, for its part, insists the new dam will benefit downstream states Egypt and Sudan, both of which will be invited to purchase the electricity generated by the dam.

The two countries agreed to resume tripartite talks – which also included downstream country Sudan – after Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met in Equatorial Guinea in June.

According to the original schedule, the TNC should meet in Addis Ababa on December 16 to select the firm to conduct the two studies.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Offers to study Ethiopia's dam expected mid-December - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online

Offers to study Ethiopia's dam expected mid-December - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online: "Offers to study Ethiopia's dam expected mid-December
Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia were expected to consider international firm offers to conduct studies on the Grand Renaissance Dam Thursday, but several firms requested an extension
Ahram Online , Wednesday 3 Dec 2014
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Ethiopia's Great Renaissance Dam is constructed in Guba Woreda, some 40 km (25 miles) from Ethiopia's border with Sudan, June 28, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)
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The period for receiving offers from international firms to conduct studies on the impact of Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam has been extended to mid-December.

Advisor to Egypt's irrigation minister, Alaa Yassin, told Al-Ahram Arabic news website Wednesday that some firms — originally expected to make their offers late November — requested an extension.
Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia had selected seven international firms in October to prepare technical and financial offers in order to choose one to conduct studies on Ethiopia's dam.

The firms were from Germany, Switzerland, France, Holland and Australia.

A tripartite committee was expected to hold a meeting Thursday in Khartoum to study the offers and then choose a firm in Addis Ababa on 16 December.

The firm's report — based on study to be conducted over five months — will include the dam's impact on upstream Nile countries Egypt and Sudan, as well as its environmental, social and economic effects.

Cairo is concerned that Ethiopia's $4.2 billion dam project, which the Ethiopian government says is now 40 percent complete, could have an adverse effect on its water supply.

Relations between the two countries have been tense as a result. However, recent diplomatic efforts appear to have improved bilateral communication.

Several visits and meetings have taken place across the three countries in the past few months.

Egypt said that there are several technical issues that could be discussed with Ethiopia should the technical report conclude that the dam might negatively affect Egypt.

Egypt will likely need an additional 21 billion cubic metres of water per year by 2050, on top of its current 55 billion cubic metre quota, to meet the water needs of a projected population of 150 million, according to Egypt's National Planning Institute."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Egypt: Bid deadline for controversial dam study extended - business - News - StarAfrica.com

The deadline to submit technical and financial bids to conduct a study on Ethiopia’s controversial Nile River dam has been extended to mid-December, Egypt’s Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazy disclosed Wednesday.Six international consultancy firms are expected to file bids for the study a statement from the Egyptian government quoted Moghazy as saying.

Three experts from the Nile countries of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia are tasked with reviewing the offers within 15 days before selecting the winner.

Later, a meeting by the three Nilotic countries slated for Khartoum in mid-January will settle for the best offers.

In August the three countries agreed in principle on mechanisms for deciding on the possible negative effects of Ethiopia’s controversial Grand Renaissance Dam which Egypt fears would affect its natural share of water from the River Nile.

Ethiopia had repeatedly argued that the dam project which it announced almost four years ago, would bring no harm to Egypt’s water security, a claim Cairo has dismissed as untenable.

Signature : APA

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

South Sudan, Egypt Ink $26 Million in Bilateral Deals

Egypt fears Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam, shown here, will reduce the flow of water to millions of Egyptians.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Ethiopia-Egypt trade deals to ease River Nile row -BBC News

Diversion ceremony at the Blue Nile in Guba, Ethiopia. 28 May 2013

Ethiopian government says the multi-billion dollar water project poses no threat to Egypt's share of the Nile

Egypt and Ethiopia have signed a series of trade agreements which could help smooth diplomatic tensions over use of the River Nile waters.

The countries fell out over Ethiopia's plans to construct a $4.3bn (£3.4bn) hydroelectric dam on the river.

Egypt was apparently caught by surprise when Ethiopia started diverting the Blue Nile to build the Grand Renaissance Dam in 2013.

The river is a tributary of the Nile, on which Egypt is heavily dependent.

Ministers from both countries signed more than 20 bilateral on deals on trade, health and education at a meeting in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.

At the signing ceremony, senior government officials vowed to continue talks on how to resolve a three-year dispute over the dam, which remains a sensitive issue, says the BBC Emmanuel Igunza in Addis Ababa.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said discussions would aim to achieve a win-win situation for all countries.

Despite reassurances from the Ethiopian government that their water project poses no threat to Egypt's share of the Nile, Egyptians are asking what effect it will have on their already depleting water resources, our correspondent says.

At the height of the tensions last year, Egyptian authorities were said to be considering military action over the dam.

They have however agreed to commission a team of international experts to assess the impact of the project on the water levels of Africa's longest river.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

State Information Services 5th round of Egyptian-Ethiopian committee starts in Addis Ababa

The Ethiopian Capital Addis Ababa hosted on Saturday 01/11/2014 the 5th round of Egyptian-Ethiopian Joint Committee for two days at the level of senior officials.

The 5th round's meetings will be attended by representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs, trade and industry, electricity and renewable energy, oil, education, higher education, civil aviation, tourism, agriculture and land reclamation, communications and information technology, and culture, as well as the National Council for Women. Today's meeting comes in preparation for the ministerial meeting to be held on November 3, which will be co-chaired by the foreign ministers of two countries.

During the meetings, head of the Ethiopian delegation expressed condolences to the Egyptian government and people for the Armed Forces martyrs in the North Sinai terror attack. He stressed the importance of exploiting the political will of leaderships in the two countries and enhancing the historic relations between Egypt and Ethiopia.

For his part, Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs Ambassador Magdy Saber stressed the importance of building on the positive spirit created between Egypt and Ethiopia after the meeting held between President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and the Ethiopian prime minister on the sidelines of the African summit. He stressed the importance of working to enhance relations between Egypt and Ethiopia in all fields, thus contributing to the realization of development goals of the two countries.