April 10, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan selected an international consultancy firms which will conduct further technical studies on Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam, an official said on Friday.
The selection of the international consultancy firms comes two weeks after leaders of the three countries signed a declaration of principles in Khartoum, a move seen as a major step towards resolving a long-running row over the utilisation of the Nile water resources.
Water ministers of the three Nile Basin countries have been in talks since Wednesday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa to decide which consultancy company should be hired among.
A number of European firms including a prominent French company have originally submitted their technical and financial proposals.
Ethiopia water and energy minister, Alemayehu Tegenu told reporters that two foreign consultancy firms have now been selected to technically supervise the construction of the controversial dam which is being built along the Nile River in Benshangul Gumuz region some 40km from the Sudanese border.
Tegenu further said the two chosen firms will be tasked with studying hydrological simulation model and trans-boundary socio-economic and environmental impact assessment.
The additional studies will be carried out per recommendations forwarded by the international panel of experts which previously studied the impact of the dam on lower riparian countries.
According to the Ethiopian official, the two studies will be completed within five to12 months.