The CEO of Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Coordination Office, Aregawi Berhe, announced that Ethiopia requires even more water dams to achieve development in its agriculture and energy sectors, stating unequivocally that “GERD is not the end of the road.”
Speaking to Ethiopian media on Wednesday, Aregawi added that the GERD project is merely a first step in a long trajectory of self-driven development in the water and energy sectors.
He emphasized that “Ethiopia cannot be content with just one dam.” He highlighted the need for additional dams to serve vital purposes, primarily supporting the agricultural sector, which he described as a fundamental pillar of the national economy and food security. He believes Ethiopia has been slow in utilizing its water resources compared to other pioneering nations.
“We will not stop at just one dam; we need dams that serve other purposes, including agriculture,” he reiterated, viewing the GERD project as the beginning of correcting this path and a strategic step towards catching up with development.
Aregawi also mentioned that GERD was completed with full internal funding, without reliance on foreign loans or aid. This statement came in response to previous claims by President Donald Trump about U.S. financing for the dam.
Ethiopia is preparing for the official inauguration ceremony of GERD next September, with increasing regional and international attention on this massive project, which is expected to alter the balance of energy and development in the Horn of Africa region.
Recently, President Donald Trump spoke about GERD on multiple occasions, stating during a White House press conference with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte: “The United States financed the GERD, and I don’t know why.”
Earlier this July, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the completion of GERD’s construction and set next September as the inauguration date, coinciding with the end of summer.
In response, Egypt reiterated its categorical rejection of Ethiopia’s continued imposition of a fait accompli through unilateral measures related to the Nile River, considering it a shared international water resource.
Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sewilam, stated in a press release that the Ethiopian side has persistently promoted the completion of the dam, calling it “illegal and in violation of international law,” despite the absence of a binding agreement with downstream nations and despite the substantive reservations expressed by both Egypt and Sudan.
He added that Ethiopia’s policy is a “clear violation of international law, especially the rules related to the equitable and reasonable use of international watercourses and the obligation not to cause significant harm.”
