Abstract
The Government of Ethiopia has undertaken the implementation of the 6,000 MW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project (GERD) located on the Blue Nile just upstream of the Ethiopian–Sudan border. The GERD has an active storage capacity of 60,000 million m3 (million cubic meter) which is greater than the yearly average flow of 48,770 Mm3, thus acting as a multiannual regulating reservoir. The objective of this chapter is to analyze potential impacts and benefits of GERD on Eastern Nile, mainly on the High Aswan Dam (HAD) and reservoirs in Sudan. Simulations have been based on monthly flow data considering specific series of years as representative of a possible near-future scenario during GERD filling and operation. For the GERD impounding stage, average sequences of inflows are selected according to a 6-year (planned period to fill GERD reservoir) moving average on HAD yearly inflows time series. The scenarios were evaluated by comparing the current situation (HAD alone) and with GERD. More regular and constant flows will be released to downstream of GERD. At the Sudanese border, peak flows on the Blue Nile are controlled and reduced by GERD (reduction of 85 % of the maximum monthly flow) while low flows are significantly increased ( + 300 %). Evaporation losses are reduced by 12 % comparing to the current situation. Egyptian irrigation water demand is always satisfied during the simulated period.
Keywords
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abbay River Basin Integrated Development Master Plan Project (1998) Phase 2, Volume III-Water Resources, Part 1,2-Climatology, Hydrology. Ministry of Water resources, The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
DHI (Danish Hydraulic Institute) (1997) Mike Basin—a tool for river planning and management. Danish Hydraulic Institute, Denmark
DHI (Danish Hydraulic Institute) (2001) MIKEBASIN 2001: a versatile decision support tool for integrated water resources management planning. Danish Hydraulic Institute, Denmark
DHI (Danish Hydraulic Institute) (2003) MIKE BASIN: a tool for river basin planning and management. Danish Hydraulic Institute, Denmark
DHI (Danish Hydraulic Institute) (2008) DHI product suite 2008. Set of manuals. Danish Hydraulic Institute, Denmark
El-Raey M, El-Quosy DH, El-Shaer M, El Kholy OA, Soliman A (1995) Egypt: inventory and mitigation options, and vulnerability and adaptation assessment. CSP Interim Report—Egypt, U.S. Country Studies Program
ENTRO (2011) Eastern Nile irrigation & drainage (ENID) knowledge base development, Final Report, Eastern Nile. Technical Regional Office (ENTRO), Ethiopia
ENTRO (2009) Eastern Nile irrigation and drainage study (ENIDS), Main Report, Revised final version, Eastern Nile. Technical Regional Office (ENTRO), Ethiopia
Hydrosult Inc, Tecsult, DHV, and their Associates Nile Consult, Comatex Nilotica and T and A Consulting (2006) Trans-Boundary Analysis: main Nile Sub-basin. NBI-ENTRO (Nile Basin Initiative-Eastern Nile Technical Regional Organization)
Sutcliffe JV, Parks YP (1999) The hydrology of the Nile. IAHS, Special Publication No. 5. IAHS Press, UK
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mulat, A., Moges, S., Ibrahim, Y. (2014). Impact and Benefit Study of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) During Impounding and Operation Phases on Downstream Structures in the Eastern Nile. In: Melesse, A., Abtew, W., Setegn, S. (eds) Nile River Basin. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02720-3_27
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02720-3_27
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-02719-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-02720-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)