Ethiopian Government Aims to Mitigate Floods with New Dams

23 November 2016

The Ethiopian Government is planning to construct two new dams to mitigate Ethiopia’s devastating and recurring floods. The decision comes just a few months after flash floods ravaged the country, causing as many as one hundred fatalities and displacing tens of thousands of people.

The construction, orchestrated by the Awash Basin Authority of Water Resources, Irrigation (ABA) and Energy Ministry, will take place in the Afar region and is estimated to cost 11.7 billion Birr.

236,890 people have displaced since late March due to persistent and torrential rains and corresponding flash floods.

The dams are to be part of Ethiopia’s Second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-2) which is built on sectoral policies, strategies and programs, lessons drawn from the implementation of the GTP-1 and the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of the GTP-2 is to build a carbon resilient and environment friendly economy elevating Ethiopia to a lower middle income country by 2025.

One of the dams, to be constructed in Awash-Fentale Woreda of Afar Regional State, will have the capacity to hold 470 cubic meters water, said Getachew Gizaw, ABA Director-General. The second dam will be constructed across Logia River, a downstream large tributary of the Awash River which flows southwards.

Both dams will sustainably help prevent the danger of flooding between Awash Sebat town and Afar Gewane Woreda and Lower Middle Awash. Moreover, the second dam will be utilised for fishery development and rearing animals, strengthening food security in the region.

Improving disaster response activities and strengthening rural infrastructure will be discussed at the 2nd Aid & Development Africa Summit, taking place in Nairobi, Kenya on 28 Feb -1 Mar 2017. Join the Summit to discover new best practice in building resilience, identify challenges, solutions and lessons learned in humanitarian operations in East Africa, register your participation now at: http://africa.aidforum.org/register

IMAGE SOURCE: FloodList