The final agreement regarding development of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is to be signed by the end of February, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Water Resources of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have announced, with the countries having reached agreement on a schedule for a stage based filling plan for the dam.
The Ministers and their delegations met with the Secretary of the Treasury and the President of the World Bank, participating as observers in negotiations on the filling and operation of the GERD, in Washington, DC on January 28-31, 2020. At the conclusion of the meetings, the Ministers reached agreement on three major issues, subject to the final signing of the comprehensive agreement. These agreements covered a schedule for a stage based filling plan of the GERD; a mitigation mechanism for the filling of the GERD during drought, prolonged drought, and prolonged periods of dry years; and a mitigation mechanism for the annual and long-term operation of the GERD in drought, prolonged drought, and prolonged periods of dry years.
They also discussed and agreed to finalize a mechanism for the annual and long-term operation of the GERD in normal hydrological conditions, a coordination mechanism, and provisions for the resolution of disputes and the sharing of information. Moreover, they also agreed to address dam safety and pending studies on the environmental and social impacts of the GERD.
The Ministers have instructed their technical and legal teams to prepare the final agreement, to include the agreements reached above, for a signing of the three countries by the end of February 2020.
