Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan say they have reached a preliminary agreement aimed at clearing the way for the filling and operation of Ethiopia's $5 billion dam project on the Nile River.

The project, called the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), is around 70% complete and promises to provide much-needed electricity for Ethiopia's 105 million people.

Egypt, which gets around 90% of its water from the Nile, is concerned that filling the reservoir behind the dam too quickly could significantly reduce the amount flowing into its borders from the upper Nile basin.

The joint statement, released after three days of meetings in Washington on Wednesday, didn't give details on how long it would take to fill the dam, saying only that it would start in the 2020 rainy season and occur in stages.

Construction on the 6000-megawatt dam officially began in 2011 along the Blue Nile tributary in Ethiopia's northern highland region.

Tensions over giant dam

The dam has been the source of a major dispute since it was announced. The main contention is the dam's reservoir, which has a capacity of more than 74 billion cubic meters and will be flooded to form an artificial lake.

Read more: Egypt and Ethiopia fend off water wars over Nile mega-dam

In the past, Ethiopia has said it wants to fill the reservoir as quickly as possible — ideally within the next seven years — to ensure the dam can operate at full capacity as soon as possible.

In turn, Egypt has accused Ethiopia of dismissing its concerns about water security, especially in the case of drought.

Previous rounds of negotiations, of which there have been many, had failed to reach a comprise.

At this week's meeting in Washington, the foreign ministers agreed that "there is a shared responsibility of the three countries in managing drought and prolonged drought."

"The mechanism for the "subsequent stages of filling" would be agreed at a subsequent meeting slated for January 28-29.

Egypt already facing water crisis

Egypt's farmers are already facing dry fields because of water scarcity due to a combination of factors such as rapidly growing population, climate change and antiquated irrigation systems. The United Nations has predicted Egypt will face an "absolute water crisis" by 2025.

Watch video 02:06 Share Blue Nile dam a blessing and curse Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3TWQo Ethiopian Blue Nile dam a blessing and curse downstream

The Egyptian government fears that Ethiopia's dam will make the situation worse.

However, some also believe Egypt's protests are about asserting its power in the region.

"It's not about technical [aspects], it's not about harming the downstream countries," Meressa Kassu, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, told DW.

"I think showing [their] power and hegemony in the region could be [Egypt's aim]," he said. "In the Declaration of Principles on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, it is clear that any [upstream] countries will not significantly harm the downstream countries."

Ethiopian economic researcher Amen Abdela is also dismissive of Egypt's claims, saying they have "ever-changing minds".

"The claims of the Egyptian government are not, by any means, supported by evidence," he told DW.

Why does Ethiopia want the giant dam?

Ethiopia sees the dam as fundamental to its economic development. Because of this, the government wants the dam completed as soon as possible as it seeks to transform the country into an industrial nation and boost the economy.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: A never-ending saga A concrete colossus At 145 meters high and almost two kilometers long, the Grand Renaissance Dam is expected to become Ethiopia's biggest source of electricity. As Africa's largest hydroelectric power dam, it will produce more than 15,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity, beginning in 2022. It will source water from Africa's longest river, the Blue Nile.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: A never-ending saga The outlook so far With more than 50% of Ethiopians still living without electricity, the government wants the dam to be up and running as soon as possible, so tens of millions of residents will be able to access power. The first of a total of 13 turbines are due to be operational by mid-2021.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: A never-ending saga A long time in the making Construction on the current dam began in 2011 — but the site was identified between 1956 and 1964. The coup of 1974 meant the project failed to progress, and it was not until 2009 that plans for the dam were resurrected. The $4.6 billion (€4.1 billion) project has consistently been the source of serious regional controversy, with its plan to source water from the Blue Nile.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: A never-ending saga Transforming the landscape In a few years, this entire area will be covered in water. The reservoir which is needed to generate electricity is expected to hold 74 billion cubic meters of water. Ethiopia wants to fill the artificial lake as soon as possible, but neighboring countries are concerned about the impact this might have on their own water supplies.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: A never-ending saga Diplomatic deadlock Egypt, in particular, fears that filling the reservoir too quickly will threaten their water supply and allow Ethiopia to control the flow of the Blue Nile. Ethiopia is insisting on having the reservoir filled in seven years. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday, to discuss the matter.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: A never-ending saga No solution in sight However, two days of negotiations between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan in Washington over the weekend failed to solve the reservoir issue, despite the US stepping in to mediate. With no progress over the last four years, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed even called on South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa — and the 2020 chairperson of the African Union — to intervene in the dispute.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: A never-ending saga Back-breaking work Amidst the heated negotiations, up to 6,000 employees are still working around the clock to get the dam completed by the deadline. The working conditions are not for the faint-hearted: In the hottest months, temperatures on the construction site can reach up to 50 degrees.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: A never-ending saga Project mired in corruption Over the years, construction was also delayed significantly due to ongoing corruption and mismanagement issues. Last month, 50 people were charged with severe graft offenses relating to the dam, including the former CEO of Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP). Author: Ineke Mules, Maria Gerth-Niculescu



"The government expects a return on this investment," says economic researcher Abdela. "The issue that Ethiopia should complete the project [on time] is very important, otherwise prolonging the period of [construction] will further impact the economy."

Just half of Ethiopia's population of 105 million is connected to the main grid. Even those with access to electricity, including those living in the capital Addis Ababa, have to contend with frequent blackouts.

The government also hopes to export surplus electricity generated by the dam to neighboring nations.

"Our country has a problem when it comes to accessing electricity," said Kefal Egzo, a steelworker for the GERD project for the past five years. "So this project will be very beneficial for Ethiopia, and not only for us but also other African countries."

Maria Gerth-Niculescu in Ethiopia contributed to this article (AP, RTR).