Addis Abeba- Ethiopia has established a committee to assess economic losses and missed development opportunities arising from projects it says were "obstructed by Egypt", with more than 22 projects, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), already identified, Minister of Water and Energy Habtamu Itefa (PhD) said.
The minister was quoted by state media as saying the committee has begun "compiling data on the projects and examining the legal and economic basis of Ethiopia's compensation claims."
It comprises experts, former ministers, advisers and legal professionals tasked with assessing the extent of the alleged losses and possible approaches to addressing them.
Habtamu said the assessment would extend beyond projects that Ethiopia claims were "prevented from being implemented" to include the benefits its environmental conservation efforts and water infrastructure provide to downstream countries.
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Citing the Green Legacy Initiative, under which "more than 50 billion" seedlings have reportedly been planted, the minister said Ethiopia had also undertaken watershed management activities across major river basins, including the Baro, Abay (Nile) and Tekeze revers. He argued that these efforts contribute to protecting water resources and mitigating the effects of climate change across the Nile Basin.
The GERD's operation helps reduce flood risks downstream and ensures more consistent water availability during dry seasons, the minister reiterated. Against the backdrop of changing rainfall patterns associated with El Niño, he argued that coordinated water management and regulated flows could benefit downstream countries, including Sudan and Egypt.
The minister's remarks come amid mounting concerns over the effects of changing rainfall patterns and prolonged drought across Ethiopia, including parts of the Nile Basin. In Afar's Kori Woreda, severe water shortages and widespread livestock deaths have devastated pastoralist communities.
Humanitarian agencies have warned of an impending humanitarian and livestock and crops survival crisis in the Horn of Africa including Ethiopia driven by El Niño-induced prolonged drought, according to previous reports by Addis Standard.
The rainfall deficit has also raised concerns about Ethiopia's energy security. Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) has warned that below-average rainfall and declining reservoir levels could put additional pressure on the country's hydropower-dependent electricity supply, prompting calls for tighter dam water management to mitigate the effects of the summer rainfall shortfall.
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Ethiopia continued to prioritize negotiations and consensus in addressing Nile-related disputes, the Minister said, while warning that "other circumstances" could compel the country to consider "additional measures."
