By: Sintayehu Tamirat

A newly unveiled master plan for Lake Nigat, the reservoir of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and one of the world's largest man-made lakes, is designed to generate significant benefits for both Ethiopia and Sudan. This scope was highlighted by Ethiopia's Minister of Water and Energy, Dr. Habtamu Itefa, on Tuesday during a stakeholders consultation forum in Bishoftu on the master plan draft. 

The reservoir's name, Nigat, is an Amharic word that means dawn. The forum gathered all relevant stakeholders, including federal ministries, civil society organizations, political parties, the private sector, and media houses. 

Minister Habtamu stated that the master plan's projects will have huge significance for Ethiopia and downstream countries. The development projects incorporated include a potential water transport linkage between Sudan and Ethiopia, tourism, watershed management, solar energy, clean water supply, road and air transport, and job creation. 

Crucially, projects for siltation control and reduction, environmental protection, and climate mitigation—said to be critical to both GERD and Sudan's Roseires Dam—are also part of the plan. The master plan is expected to serve as a reference base for any upcoming investment projects. During the forum, various papers were presented, and inputs were collected for the draft plan.