Addis Ababa — The Grand Ethiopian Renascence Dam (GERD) is a vivid indicator of a possibility of reversal in African history of poverty through equitable utilization of resources, the renowned historian, Professor Ahmed Zekaria remarked.
The professor added that GERD is a project that demonstrated African countries can develop their natural resources on their own capacity, adding that the Dam can help to promote power integration that could be utilized not only by Ethiopia but for the countries in the region as well.
He further added that GERD shows Ethiopia's ever unwavering position on the equitable utilization of the waters of the Nile.
Ethiopia is at the threshold of completing the Dam with no visible harm on any of the riparian countries, he stressed.
Professor Zakaria underscored that Africa's history of poverty can effectively be reversed by developing such grand projects that show equitable utilization of natural resources in the continent, adding that GERD shows Ethiopia's capacity to promote infrastructural integration in the African region.
Apart from constructing the Dam, Ethiopia has also introduced a National Green Legacy Initiative from which the lower riparian countries can benefit in terms of environmental conservation, the Professor added.
He noted that Ethiopia shared tree seedlings with the neighboring countries demonstrating her strong commitment to environmental protection and conservation in the African region, stressing that those who spread misinformation on the objectives of the project need to come to their senses and engage in mutual cooperation on developing green legacy projects in the region.
