Smaller Dams in Ethiopia Solution to Water Supply Concern, Irrigation Minister Says

Written by Makula Dunbar

Feb 04, 2014

Written by Aya Nader | From Daily News Egypt

If Ethiopia wants to generate electricity, it should build a smaller dam, Minister of Irrigation Mohammad Abdul Muttalib said Monday, according to state-owned Al-Ahram.

The remarks came during a visit to Sharqeya governorate to inaugurate a number of water pumping stations. There, the minister stressed that Ethiopia’s planned Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) should “work with higher efficiency without harming other countries,” asserting that the current dam’s current efficiency levels do not exceed 30%.

Irrigation ministry spokesman Khaled Wassif said, “The minister meant they should build two small dams. This way they could generate electricity and not affect the water.”