Ethiopia is called the water tower of Africa due to its combination of mountainous areas with a comparatively large share of water resources in Africa. Only a fraction of this potential has been harnessed so far, 1% at the beginning of the 21st century. In order to become the powerhouse of Africa, Ethiopia is actively exploiting its water resources by building dams, reservoirs, irrigation and diversion canals and hydropower stations. The benefits of the dams are not only limited to hydropower. Many dams are multi-purpose dams that are also designed to provide water for irrigation, drinking water and flood control. However, hydropower is expected to be the main benefit of the dams.
| Reservoir | Coordinates | 1st use | 2nd use | 3rd use | commissioned | River | Drainage Basin | Total reservoir size [km3] | Dam + height [m] | Irrigation area [km2] | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aba Samuel | 8°47′17″N38°42′22″E / 8.788°N 38.706°E | hydropower | flood control | 1932 | Akaki | Afar Triangle | 0.035 | 22 | siltation | ||
| Alwero | 7°52′19″N34°29′56″E / 7.872°N 34.499°E | irrigation | 1995 | Alwero | Nile | 0.075 | yes | ||||
| Amerti | 9°47′20″N37°16′08″E / 9.789°N 37.269°E | hydropower | irrigation | 2011 | Fincha | Nile | 0.04 | 38 | 127 | ||
| Angereb | 12°36′47″N37°29′10″E / 12.613°N 37.486°E | drinking water | irrigation | 1986 | Lesser Angereb | Nile | 0.005 | yes | siltation | ||
| Arjo Didessa | 8°31′12″N36°40′08″E / 8.520°N 36.669°E | irrigation | flood control | U/C | Didessa | Nile | 2.3 | 47 / 17 / 10 | 800 | 3 dams in total | |
| Chomen Lake | 9°33′40″N37°24′47″E / 9.561°N 37.413°E | hydropower | drinking water | irrigation | 1973 | Fincha | Nile | 0.65 | 20 | ||
| Dire | 9°08′53″N38°56′02″E / 9.148°N 38.934°E | drinking water | 1999 | Dire | Afar Triangle | 0.019 | yes | ||||
| Geba | 8°12′40″N36°04′23″E / 8.211°N 36.073°E | irrigation | hydropower | U/C | Gebba | Nile | 1.4 | 46 70 | 4,800 | ||
| Gefersa | 9°03′50″N38°38′31″E / 9.064°N 38.642°E | drinking water | 1955 | Akaki | Afar Triangle | 0.007 | yes | ||||
| Genale Dawa III | 5°30′36″N39°43′05″E / 5.51°N 39.718°E | hydropower | flood control | 2017 | Ganale | Jubba | 2.6 | 110 | |||
| Genale Dawa VI | 5°41′N40°56′E / 5.68°N 40.93°E | hydropower | irrigation | U/C | Ganale | Jubba | 0.18 | 39 | 270 | ||
| GERD | 11°12′50″N35°05′20″E / 11.214°N 35.089°E | hydropower | flood control | fishing | U/C | Blue Nile | Nile | 74 | 155 | irrigation in Sudan | |
| Gidabo [1] | 6°26′17″N38°10′05″E / 6.438°N 38.168°E | irrigation | flood control | fishing | 2018 | Gidabo | Rift Valley | 0.063 | 21.3 | 270 | |
| Gilgel Gibe I | 7°49′52″N37°19′19″E / 7.831°N 37.322°E | hydropower | flood control | siltation sink | 2004 | Gilgel Gibe | Turkana Basin | 0.92 | 40 | severe siltation | |
| Gilgel Gibe III | 6°50′38″N37°18′04″E / 6.844°N 37.301°E | hydropower | flood control | fishing | 2015 | Omo | Turkana Basin | 14.7 | 243 | ||
| Kessem | 9°09′00″N39°52′59″E / 9.150°N 39.883°E | irrigation | drinking water | 2015 | Kessem | Afar Triangle | 0.5 | 90 | 200 | ||
| Koka Lake | 8°28′05″N39°09′22″E / 8.468°N 39.156°E | hydropower | flood control | fishing | 1960 | Awash | Afar Triangle | 1.9 | 47 | severe siltation | |
| Koysha (fr) | 6°35′02″N36°33′54″E / 6.584°N 36.565°E | hydropower | fishing | 2021 [2] | Omo | Turkana Basin | 6 | 179 | |||
| Legedadi | 9°04′05″N38°57′43″E / 9.068°N 38.962°E | drinking water | 1967 | Sendafa | Afar Triangle | 0.044 | yes | siltation | |||
| Megech | 12°30′18″N37°27′43″E / 12.505°N 37.462°E | irrigation | drinking water | U/C | Magech | Nile | 1.8 | 76 | 170 | ||
| Melka Wakena | 7°13′30″N39°27′43″E / 7.225°N 39.462°E | hydropower | drinking water | 1989 | Shebelle | Shebelle | 0.75 | 42 | siltation | ||
| Midmar Lake | 14°12′14″N38°54′40″E / 14.204°N 38.911°E | drinking water | irrigation | 1996 | Wari | Nile | 0.01 | yes | |||
| Neshe | 9°47′20″N37°16′08″E / 9.789°N 37.269°E | hydropower | irrigation | 2011 | Fincha | Nile | 0.15 | 38 | 127 | ||
| Omo Kuraz | 6°18′07″N36°03′11″E / 6.302°N 36.053°E | irrigation | U/C | Omo | Turkana Basin | ? | 22.4 | 1,000 | |||
| Rib | 12°01′52″N38°00′29″E / 12.031°N 38.008°E | irrigation | flood control | drinking water | 2017 | Rib | Nile | 0.234 | 74 | 200 | |
| Tekeze | 13°20′53″N38°44′31″E / 13.348°N 38.742°E | hydropower | flood control | fishing | 2010 | Tekeze | Nile | 9.3 | 188 | siltation | |
| Tendaho | 11°41′24″N40°57′18″E / 11.690°N 40.955°E | irrigation | drinking water | flood control | 2014 | Awash | Afar Triangle | 1.9 | 53 | 600 | |
| Wedecha-Belebla | 8°56′17″N39°00′25″E / 8.938°N 39.007°E | irrigation | 1996 | Afar Triangle | 0.001 | yes | 3 | ||||
| Zarema May-Day | 13°44′06″N37°47′49″E / 13.735°N 37.797°E | irrigation | fishing | U/C | Zarema | Nile | 3.6 | 135 | 500 | ||
List with an emphasis on construction-related informations.
| Name | Commissioning | Basin | Contractor | Financing | Cost | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koka | 1960 | Awash River | ||||
| Fincha | 1973 | Fincha (Blue Nile) | ||||
| Gilgel Gibe I | 2004 | Gilgel Gibe River | Salini (bid) | World Bank | $331m | |
| Tekezé | 2009 | Tekeze (Atbara) | Sinohydro Corporation (bid) | Chinese | $365m | |
| Gilgel Gibe III | 2015 | Omo River | Salini (no bid) | Ethiopian government and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China | Euro 1.55bn | faces stiff environmental criticism |
| Amerti & Neshe | 2012 | Fincha (Blue Nile) | China Gezhouba Group Co. (CGGC) | Exim Bank of China | $276m | |
| Tendaho | 2014 | Awash River | EWWCE | ? | ||
| Genale Dawa III | ca. 2017 | between Oromo and Somali state | Chinese CGGC | Chinese | $408m | |
| GERD | ca. 2021 | Blue Nile River | Salini | Government | Euro 4.8 billion | Awarded without competitive bid, conflict with Egypt over water usage rights |
| Koysha | construction started 2016 | Gibe River | Salini | Government | Euro 2.5 billion | secured a grant from an Italian credit firm to fund the project 2016. |
Weighing the benefits and costs of large dams is far from easy. The following sections describe the impacts of the dams in more detail as objectively as possible, in order to provide a basis for such an assessment by the reader. They have to be compared with the planned use, see above.
The construction of large dams entails many tangible and intangible costs. The financial cost itself is already substantial. Resettlement adds to the social costs of the dams. Sedimentation from unchecked erosion in the upper watershed of rivers reduces the lifespan of reservoirs. Environmental costs are imposed on communities living downstream of the dams in Ethiopia. And neighboring countries, in particularly Egypt, see their historical water rights affected and threaten to take action against the dams. The almost exclusive reliance on hydropower makes electricity generation vulnerable to droughts, which may be exacerbated by climate change. Earthquakes can also endanger the dams and associated tunnels. There were a total of 16 recorded earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 and higher in Ethiopia's seismic active areas in the 20th century. [3] Last but not least, the dams are built in an environment of poor governance: Most contracts have been awarded without competitive bidding, raising the suspicion of corruption. The above concerns have hampered access to financing from international financial institutions, slowing down the dam building program.
The financial costs of large dams in Ethiopia that have been completed after 2009 and were scheduled to be completed until 2014 is estimated at about US$11 billion, or about one third of Ethiopia's annual GDP. This does not include the cost to build transmission lines and to expand the distribution grid.
Given very low electricity tariffs in Ethiopia, the dams are not likely to generate a large financial rate of return, except if generation is subsidized by the government which itself is cash-strapped. Since many dams will be financed through loans, the heavy investment program – to the extent it is not being financed directly by the government outside the balance sheet of the national power utility EEPCo – could jeopardize the financial health of EEPCo. If the utility should become bankrupt, loan guarantees from the Ethiopian government would be called, thus imposing a potentially high financial cost on the government in addition to the investment subsidies from the government for the construction of the dams. Furthermore, the Central Bank of Ethiopia has issued bonds to finance the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the largest of all dams in Ethiopia. These subsidies have a high opportunity cost, since the scarce government funds are not available for other investments in education, health, agriculture or forestry.
Large dam projects are prone to delays. The dams built in Ethiopia are no exception to the rule and all have been delayed by at least one year. A complex geology has been one of the reasons for the delays, leading to landslides and tunnel collapses. The Gibe II dam has been affected by such problems even after its completion, when a tunnel collapsed and put the hydropower plant out of service for several months. The grand Ethiopian renaissance dam was delayed as well, because of upgrading the power from 5250 watt to 6000 watt, budget problems and dispute with government of Egypt.
There has been no estimate of the overall number of people that would have to be resettled to make room for dams and reservoirs in Ethiopia. Since most dams are to be built in narrow valleys, the areas to be inundated are not as large as, for example, in the case of Lake Nasser in Egypt. Lake Nasser covers an area of more than 5,000 km2 and displaced more than 60,000 people. Resettlement at Gibe has been implemented satisfactorily according to the World Bank, in compliance with the institutions’ resettlement policies. [4] However, the NGO International Rivers conducted a survey of resettled families finding that many of the 5,000 resettled people complain about the living conditions at the resettlement sites. [5]
Ethiopia's rivers carry a high silt content, due to heavy erosion which is accelerated by deforestation and inappropriate agricultural practices on steep mountain slopes. The reservoir of one of Ethiopia's oldest large dams, the Awash dam commissioned in 1966, is close to reaching the end of its useful life due to siltation. While most of the newly constructed dams are much larger than the Awash dam and thus have a longer lifetime, they will also ultimately silt up. Estimates of the lifetime of the dams are not available. There have been few efforts to manage the watersheds upstream of the new dams through terracing or reforestation.
Hydropower generation is vulnerable to droughts. The first large hydropower plant in Ethiopia, the Tekeze dam, was out of production for most of its first year after commissioning because of drought. The distribution of dams over two different river basins reduces somewhat the risk of drought, which nevertheless remains substantial. The Ethiopian government has awarded contracts for wind parks in 2010. However, their size is small compared to the hydropower plants and more than 95% of the future installed capacity in Ethiopia is from hydropower, despite a large potential for wind, solar and geothermal power.
Almost all of the dams planned by Ethiopia are either located in the Nile River basin or on the Omo River. Both rivers are shared with Ethiopia's neighbors and for none of them an international water sharing agreement exists. Ethiopia participates in the Nile Basin Initiative, a forum for dialogue with the other Nile riparians.
While hydropower does not consume water, the filling (impoundment) of reservoirs reduces the water flow once. In addition, evaporation from the reservoir surfaces constitutes a permanent loss of water from the river. Irrigation also consumes water that is not available any more for downstream uses.
The Blue Nile and the Atbara both drain to the main Nile River. Ethiopia has no agreement with Egypt or Sudan about the sharing of the river's water. Egypt says that its historic water rights would be violated by dams in Ethiopia and that its water security would be affected. Egypt and Sudan concluded a water sharing treaty in 1959. The agreement does not consider the water rights of other Nile riparian states. It has never been recognized by Ethiopia. The three countries did however sign the Declaration of Principles in 2015 which makes no reference to historical treaties and encourages cooperation and equitable use of Nile waters. It is not known exactly to what extent dams in Ethiopia would reduce the flow of water to Sudan and Ethiopia. Assuming an evaporation rate of 1 meter per year, an irrigated area of 200,000 hectares and a combined reservoir area of 1,000 km2, the flow of the Nile could be reduced by 3 billion cubic meters per year, equivalent to about 5 percent of the current allocation of Egypt under the 1959 agreement.
The Omo River flows to Lake Turkana in Kenya. Kenya has not expressed concerns about downstream impacts on Lake Turkana, although NGOs have done so.
Contracts to build the first dams in Ethiopia constructed under the government of Meles Zenawi, who came to power in 1991, have been awarded after competitive bidding. This is the case of the Gilgel Gibe I dam built by the Italian firm Salini under World Bank financing and the Tekeze dam built by the Chinese firm CWHEC with Chinese financing. Both contracts were awarded in the 1990s. However, soon afterwards the Ethiopian government changed its policy and decided to award contracts directly without competitive bidding. Since then, all construction contracts for dams and associated infrastructure have been awarded directly, giving rise to the suspicion of corruption. Three large contracts have been awarded directly to one firm, Salini Costruttori of Italy. Five more large contracts have been awarded to two Chinese firms.
The NGO International Rivers reports that “conversations with civil society groups in Ethiopia indicate that questioning the government’s energy sector plans is highly risky, and there are legitimate concerns of government persecution. Because of this political climate, no groups are actively pursuing the issues surrounding hydropower dams, nor publicly raising concerns about the risks. In this situation, extremely limited and inadequate public consultation has been organized” during the implementation of major dams. [6]
The Aswan Dam, or more specifically since the 1980s, the Aswan High Dam, is one of the world's largest embankment dams, which was built across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt, between 1960 and 1970. When it was completed, it was the tallest earthen dam in the world, eclipsing the United States' Chatuge Dam. Its significance largely upstaged the previous Aswan Low Dam initially completed in 1902 downstream. Based on the success of the Low Dam, then at its maximum utilization, construction of the High Dam became a key objective of the new regime the Free Officers movement of 1952; with its ability to better control flooding, provide increased water storage for irrigation and generate hydroelectricity, the dam was seen as pivotal to Egypt's planned industrialization. Like the earlier implementation, the High Dam has had a significant effect on the economy and culture of Egypt.
The Atbarah River, also referred to as the Red Nile and / or Black Nile, is a river in northeast Africa. It rises in northwest Ethiopia, approximately 50 km north of Lake Tana and 30 km west of Gondar. It then flows about 805 km (500 mi) to the Nile in north-central Sudan, joining it at the city of Atbarah. The river's tributary, the Tekezé (Setit) River, is perhaps the true upper course of the Atbarah, as the Tekezé follows the longer course prior to the confluence of the two rivers in northeastern Sudan. The Atbarah is the last tributary of the Nile before it reaches the Mediterranean.
The Tekezé or Täkkäze River, also spelled Takkaze, is a major river of Ethiopia. For part of its course it forms a section of the westernmost border of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The river is also known as the Setit in Eritrea, western Ethiopia, and eastern Sudan. According to materials published by the Ethiopian Central Statistical Agency, the Tekezé River is 608 kilometers (378 mi) long. The canyon which it has created is the deepest in Africa and one of the deepest in the world, at some points having a depth of over 2000 meters.
The Manantali Dam is a multi-purpose dam on the Bafing river in the Senegal River basin, 90 kilometres (56 mi) to the south-east of Bafoulabé, in Mali's Kayes Region.
The Merowe Dam, also known as Merowe High Dam, Merowe Multi-Purpose Hydro Project or Hamdab Dam, is a large dam near Merowe Town in northern Sudan, about 350 kilometres (220 mi) north of the capital Khartoum. Its dimensions make it the largest contemporary hydropower project in Africa. It is situated on the river Nile, close to and inundating the 4th Cataract where the river divides into multiple smaller branches with large islands in between. Merowe is a city about 40 kilometres (25 mi) downstream from the construction site at Hamdab. The main purpose for building the dam was the generation of electricity.
Tarbela Dam is an earth-filled dam along the Indus River in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It is located mainly in the Haripur District of the province. It is about 20 km (10 mi) from the city of Haripur, 105 km (65 mi) northwest of Islamabad, and 125 km (80 mi) east of Peshawar. It is the largest earth-filled dam in the world. The dam is 143 metres (470 ft) high above the riverbed and its reservoir, Tarbela Lake, has a surface area of approximately 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi).
The flooding of the Nile has been an important natural cycle in Egypt since ancient times. It is celebrated by Egyptians as an annual holiday for two weeks starting August 15, known as Wafaa El-Nil. It is also celebrated in the Coptic Church by ceremonially throwing a martyr's relic into the river, hence the name, The Martyr's Finger. The flooding of the Nile was poetically described in myth as Isis's tears of sorrow for Osiris when killed by his brother Set.
The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is a partnership among the Nile riparian states that “seeks to develop the river in a cooperative manner, share substantial socioeconomic benefits, and promote regional peace and security”. The NBI began with a dialogue among the riparian states that resulted in a shared vision objective “to achieve sustainable socioeconomic development through the equitable utilization of, and benefit from, the common Nile Basin water resources." It was formally launched in February 1999 by the water ministers of nine countries that share the river: Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as well as Eritrea as an observer. From its beginning the Nile Basin Initiative has been supported by the World Bank and by other external partners. The World Bank has a mandate to support the work of the NBI, as lead development partner and as administrator of the multi-donor Nile Basin Trust Fund. One of the partners is the "Nile Basin Discourse", which describes itself as "a civil society network of organisations seeking to achieve positive influence over the development of projects and programmes under the Nile Basin Initiative".
Energy in Ethiopia is energy and electricity production, consumption, transport, exportation, and importation in Ethiopia.
The Gilgel Gibe III Dam is a 250m high roller-compacted concrete dam with an associated hydroelectric power plant on the Omo River in Ethiopia. It is located about 62 km (39 mi) west of Sodo in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region. Once fully commissioned, it will be the third largest hydroelectric plant in Africa with a power output of about 1870 Megawatt (MW), thus more than doubling total installed capacity in Ethiopia from its 2007 level of 814 MW. The Gibe III dam is part of the Gibe cascade, a series of dams including the existing Gibe I dam and Gibe II power station as well as the planned Gibe IV and Gibe V dams. The existing dams are owned and operated by the state-owned Ethiopian Electric Power, which is also the client for the Gibe III Dam.
Tekezé Dam is a double-curvature arch dam located between Amhara and Tigray region of Ethiopia. It is situated on the Tekezé River, a tributary of the Nile that flows through one of the deepest canyons in the world.
Water resources management in modern Egypt, is a complex process that involves multiple stakeholders who use water for irrigation, municipal and industrial water supply, hydropower generation and navigation. In addition, the waters of the Nile support aquatic ecosystems that are threatened by abstraction and pollution. Egypt also has substantial fossil groundwater resources in the Western Desert.
Egypt's environmental problems include, but are not limited to, water scarcity, air pollution, damage to historic monuments, animal welfare issues and deficiencies in its waste management system.
The Gilgel Gibe II Power Station is a hydroelectric power station on the Omo River in Ethiopia. It is located about 80 km (50 mi) east of Jimma in Wolaita/Dawro Region. The power station receives water from a tunnel entrance 7°55′27″N37°23′16″E on the Gilgel Gibe River. It has an installed capacity of 420 MW and was inaugurated on January 14, 2010. Almost two weeks after inauguration, a portion of the head race tunnel collapsed causing the station to shut down. Repairs were completed on December 26, 2010.
The Beles Hydroelectric Power Plant, sometimes referred to as Beles II or Tana Beles, is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric power plant in Ethiopia near Lake Tana. The power plant receives water from the lake through the Tana-Beles interbasin transfer and after utilizing it to produce electricity, the water is then discharged into the Beles River. The plant has an installed capacity of 460 MW and it is the second largest power plant in the country. It is also expected to help provide water for the irrigation of 140,000 ha. It was inaugurated in May 2010 and the last generator was operational in February 2012. Its construction was negatively perceived by downstream Egypt.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, formerly known as the Millennium Dam and sometimes referred to as the Hidase Dam, is a gravity dam on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia under construction since 2011. The dam is in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, about 14 km (9 mi) east of the border with Sudan.
Energy in Sudan describes energy and electricity production, consumption and imports in Sudan. The chief sources of energy in 2010 were wood and charcoal, hydroelectric power, and oil. Sudan is a net energy exporter. Primary energy use in Sudan was 179 TWh and 4 TWh per million persons in 2008.
The Upper Atbara and Setit Dam Complex is a twin dam complex comprising Rumela Dam on the Upper Atbarah River and Burdana Dam on the Setit (Tekezé) River in eastern Sudan. The site of the twin dam is located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) upstream from the junction of the Atbarah and Setit rivers and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of the Khashm el-Girba Dam. Construction began in 2011 was expected to be completed by March 2016. The 320 MW dam was inaugurated by President Omar al-Bashir in February 2017, with final stages completed later that year.
Ethiopia generates most of its electricity from renewable energy, mainly hydropower.
| Africa |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | ||
| Australasia | ||
| Europe |
| |
| North America | ||
| South America | ||
| Authority control databases: National |
|---|
