It's been announced that the 4th meeting of the International Panel of Experts (IPoE) that is assessing the impact of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on downstream countries will hold its fourth meeting in Addis Ababa later this month, from November 26 to 30 in Addis Ababa.

The announcement was made by Fekahmed Negash, Director of the Boundary and Trans-boundary Rivers Affairs Directorate at the Ministry of Water and Energy . The panel, which consists of two experts each from Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan and four international experts, held its third meeting in Addis Ababa in October. The panel has so far paid two visits to the construction site in Benishangul Gumuz region and have also been evaluating 'relevant' documents. The panel's establishment was the initiative of the late Prime Minister Meles. It was intended as a "goodwill gesture" to build up trust among the riparian states and was set up following Ethiopia's decision to build the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The panel is looking at various issues including dam safety and any reduction in the flow of the river as well as its environmental impact and its socio-economic benefits. The panel is expected to report its findings to the governments of Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt in four months time.