The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has an immense contributions to the downstream countries: Egypt and the Sudan, researchers indicated.
Dr. Yilma Sleshi, a researcher, stated that GERD will contribute to the elongation of the time span of the Egyptian Aswan High Dam for some hundred years through controlling sedimentation.
The researcher also noted that GERD could benefit both Sudan and Egypt as it would bring controlled and uniformed flow of water throughout the year that diminishes flood disasters and maintaining constant amount of water flow even in dry season.
The Dam does not affect the amount of water that flows to downstream countries as it continue marching having generating power, the research finding highlighted.
According to the researcher, other basin countries, downstream and neighboring countries will get an access to electric power at a relatively lower cost.
Zerihun Abebe, another researcher, said that as the Dam is constructed based on international standards, it will benefit to all the riparian states.
While presenting a paper concerning GERD entitled, The international relations, the negotiations and diplomatic situation, from speeding up the regional integration process up to linking the region with electricity access, Zerihun emphasized that the Dam has a lot of benefits even for Africa due to its political and economic importance.
“The Dam breaks the colonial legacy in the utilization of natural resources among the Nile basin countries,” he emphasized. Addis Ababa University, Professor of Hydropolitics Dr. Yacob Arsano for his part said the regional significance of the Dam is so high that it has shared benefits for all the parian
states as Ethiopia considered shared principles while building the Dam.
Regional economic integration, power pool and flexibility, energy supply as well as basin based economic and political stabilization are among the benefits of GERD, as many argued.