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What will the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) bring to Ethiopia’s cities, industries, agriculture, people and climate? 

Dr. Aklilu Fikreslassie is the Africa Director of the World Resources Institute and a specialist in urban development and economics. 

Aklilu, who says the completion of the GERD will free Ethiopia from centuries of colonial rule, explained that it will play a significant role in helping Ethiopia achieve its sustainable development goals. 

The director said that Ethiopia has many development and international goals, one of which is the commitment to reduce carbon emissions. 

In this way, the GERD will help the country generate an additional 5,150 megawatts of renewable energy, which will play an irreplaceable role in solving and replacing the problems that cause pollution. 

Another is that Ethiopia has pledged to implement low emission sustainable development for the next 50 years, which will help the country fulfill its promise to ensure that its growth is not filled with smoke but free from pollution. 

For urban development: -

According to Aklilu (Dr.), cities cannot grow without energy. 

Even if they grow, their growth will not be healthy and sustainable. 

Aklilu (Dr.) says that cities in Ethiopia will grow by 5 percent, which means that 1.5 million people or the population of three regional cities will move to cities every year. 

Ethiopia also needs energy to meet this growth, and this is what the Renaissance is helping with. 

For industrial development: -

Aklilu Fikre Selassie, who pointed out that it is impossible to expand industries without energy, said that providing sufficient renewable energy to industries is not only a basis for reducing pollution but also a basis for sustainable development. 

Aklilu Fikre Selassie (PhD), who said that the country's energy demand is growing by 10 to 15 percent annually, explained that it will be difficult to achieve growth if we cannot fill this gap.

He said that the 5150 megawatts of renewable energy generated by the Renaissance Dam will help fill this gap.

Improving the livelihood of the community:

According to Aklilu (PhD), 45 to 50 percent of the Ethiopian population does not have access to electricity, the energy generated by the Renaissance Dam will play a major role in filling this gap. 

He said that making the community use renewable energy will greatly improve and simplify their lives and will increase their income by 30 percent. 

The director said that 87 percent of the Ethiopian population that does not have access to energy gets its energy from coal, wood and various other sources of pollution, and the energy generated from the dam will play a major role in reducing this.

He explained that this will save 100,000 hectares of forest from being cut down for energy and various other reasons, citing a study by the African Development Bank. 

For health: 

It will reduce many diseases caused by climate change, save lives lost due to drought and various types of pollution. 

The Grand Renaissance Dam will play a major role in making the economy sustainable, and in promoting regional trade, diplomacy, and people-to-people relations, said Aklilu Fikresalassie (PhD), Director of the World Bank Group for Africa.