Energy Powerhouse GERD Crucial for Regional Integration: Scholars

ENA November 6/2019 Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD), the country’s next energy powerhouse, will be crucial for the realization of the regional integration upon its completion, according to Scholars.

In an exclusive interview with ENA Dr. Teshome Adugna, Economic Analyst and Planning and Economic Development Commissioner of Oromia Regional State said the world experience shows that major successes of the regions are based on established platform for cooperation of integration.

“Such trends should work in the Horn of Africa,” said adding that “in the Horn, we have lot opportunities in the future because we have resources which we didn’t have been utilized”.

Ethiopia is one of the economic powerhouses in East Africa, which is also a major socio-political and diplomatic hub in the Horn Africa, among others. “Regarding the GERD whatever Ethiopia is promoting, it can be an example for integration in the world,” Teshome underscored.

One of the best endowments in Ethiopia is the water resources, he said adding that the country has the right to develop using its resources based on comparative advantage on its development corridors.

Despite its abundant resources, Ethiopia is still the poorest country due to various reasons. He stated among others that “We don’t have proper water management and we don’t have water storage in the country. So, proper water utilization is a must with no option”.

Among the recent priorities of the government is the Grand Renaissance Dam which would help to change the lives of its people in particular and the region in general, the economist said.

Concerning its application and realization of the dam, Teshome urged the government to act based on the international law which is the cooperative international law other than the colonial law.

The main purpose of the GERD is to alleviate poverty not to harm other riparian countries as the government is targeting only to create energy and let the water to discharge, he affirmed.

Whatever the Ethiopian government is doing based on the international law, it has irrefutable natural right to use its water resources. “So, we need to have a strong cooperation among Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt in this regard to realize the dam as soon as possible,” Teshome underlined.

Dr. Yacob Arsano, a Researcher in Hydro-politics in Addis Ababa University, said Ethiopia is a key country in a way to integrating the Horn of Africa and other neighboring countries as it is the economic and political powerhouse of Africa.

Connecting with power networks will have multiplier effect on the regional economy including industrial development and market links as power remains critical shortfall across the continent, Yacob stated.

The integration has also the prospect to be transformed into to common market and supporting the regional organizations like IGAD and COMESA to unlock other potentials, he indicated.

Accordingly, now is the time when most of the neighboring countries are in needs of electricity due to the dynamism of their respective economies.

On the basis of Ethiopia’s initial plan on GERD, it has targeted to provide electricity for countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Turkey and for North African countries beyond its neighbors.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) which is a 6,450 MW hydropower project has reached to 68.5 percent completion.

Ethiopia has some of the richest water resources in Africa, distributed across eight major basins with an exploitable hydropower potential of 45,000 MW.