The Nile Tripartite Committee composed of experts drawn from Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan, and four international experts later officially named as ‘International Panel of Experts (IPoE) made a second visit to the construction site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on October 8.

The experts committee which officially launched its activities in Addis Ababa, on May 8, 2012 paid its first visit to the construction site of the dam on 15th of May 2012.

It also held its first meeting on June 6, 2012 in Cairo.

The establishment of the Committee was the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s initiative as good will gesture to build trust among riparian States.

The Committee is expected to present its findings in nine months time to the highest authorities of Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt.

Ethiopia has conducted numerous studies on the project which unequivocally affirmed the benefits of the project to downstream countries.

The project will have the benefit of preventing floods and siltation in downstream countries for the flow of the water will be regulated throughout the year. It will also have added benefit of reducing evaporation as it is being built in less humid gorge.

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*Originally published on A Week in the Horn – Oct. 12, 2012 issue, titled “International Panel of Experts’ second visit to Renaissance dam construction site”.

Check the Nile archive or the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam archive for related posts.