Addis Ababa, May 30(ENA)--The implementation of arrangements for the seven development projects of the Eastern Nile Basin initiative, which comprise riparian countries namely Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, is expected to be approved in June this year, senior experts with the Water Resources Ministry announced.

The realization of the projects will save an annual water loss of 10 billion cubic meters due to evaporation.

The announcement was made by the Eastern Abbay sub-basin office senior technical expert, Kidane Assefa as well as senior experts with the Ministry Mekonnen Leulseged, Mesele Fiseha and Teferra Beyene in an interview with ENA.

Activities by the three countries to implement the projects were moving at good pace, they said.

Upon the expected approval of the implementation of arrangements in June here in Addis, the countries will embark on practical activities to realize the projects, they indicated.

Joint efforts were underway by the countries involved for the realization of the projects, which are long term ones, they said.

Water Ministers of the three countries had held a series of meetings in Addis and in Cairo and passed constructive resolutions.

Irrigation development, hydroelectric generation investment, transboundary electric supply and floods forecast projects are among the projects to be carried out on the Abbay river, they said.

The seven projects in addition to building trust among the riparian countries will be instrumental in creating equitable utilization as well as in curbing the multi pronged environmental dangers including soil erosion, according to the experts.

The African Development Bank, the World Bank as well as the Governments of Finland, Britain, Canada and Japan have provided a grant amounting to 25 million US Dollars for the study and preparation activities of the projects, they indicated.

Evaporation particularly in the Egypt deserts of the lower Abbay Basin wastes 10 billion cubic meters of water annually, they said, adding the projects will be instrumental in sparing such a huge loss.

Construction of a dam in the upper basin in Ethiopia will be vital to curtail water loss due to evaporation, they said.

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