Ethiopia to implement 400 Mln. USD power generating, irrigation projects

 Addis Ababa, August 14 (ENA)--The construction of 13 power-generating dams and an irrigation development project covering 590,000 hectares of land would be carried out in Ethiopia through the joint projects designed by the Nile Reparian States, the Ministry of Water Resources said.

  Head of hydrology department with the Ministry, Kidane Assefa told ENA on Tuesday that around 400 Million U.S. Dollars was needed to implement the projects.

  The money needed to execute the Ethiopian projects was part of the 30 billion U.S. Dollars required to implement the joint projects designed by the Nile Reparian States, Kidane said.

  Ethiopia, the Sudan and Egypt would open here in Addis Ababa next October a coordinating office that would facilitate the implementation of the joint projects, he said.

  A board of highly qualified experts drawn from the three countries would administer the office, which would enlist several international hydrologists to conduct extensive studies on the projects, he said.

  The office would look into the proposed projects and decide which projects should get priority on the basis of the common interest of the Reparian States, Kidane said.

  Five of the ten poorest countries in the world are found in the Nile Reparian States, Kidane said, adding that these countries have joined hands to eradicate poverty.

  The joint projects designed by the Nile Reparian Countries have met with positive international responses, he said.

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