Abiy Ahmed inspects a new dam in Amhara and praises its role in food security | news

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inspected a new dam, the first for irrigation, in the Magach region of Gondar city in the Amhara region, as part of a field tour to evaluate the progress of major agricultural development projects in the region, amid government emphasis on the importance of the project in supporting national food security and achieving self-sufficiency.

During the visit, Abiy Ahmed explained that the Magach Dam project is one of the vital projects through which the government seeks to enhance agricultural production, noting that the project currently covers about 870 hectares, and is expected to expand to include more than 17 thousand hectares of fertile land upon completion.

The Prime Minister confirmed that the project had reached an advanced stage after the success of operations to divert the course of the Magach River, which he considered an essential step towards completing the construction of the dam, which is the main driver of the project. He pointed out that construction work is proceeding according to the specified schedule, while adhering to engineering quality standards.

Abiy Ahmed stressed that the project is not limited to supporting local farmers, but also contributes to providing new job opportunities, achieving sustainable development, and enhancing food security at the national level, calling for redoubling efforts to complete it on time.

For his part, the Minister of Development in Low-lying Areas, Abraham Pillay, said that the Magach Dam project is being implemented with the participation of experts specialized in building dams, noting that diverting the course of the river is the most important stage, because it allows water to flow towards the dam. He added that the main construction work has been completed by 100%, while the backfilling work is continuing, expecting the project to officially open before next June.

The Magach River is one of the main rivers in northern Ethiopia. It originates near the city of Gondar and heads south to empty into Lake Tana through two branches. It has prominent tributaries such as the Damazah, Small Angireb, and Ahiyamisoria rivers.

The project comes within a comprehensive plan for irrigation and agriculture that includes the Magach and Rib rivers. Abiy Ahmed’s government said that the plan comes within the framework of the Nile Basin Initiative, and aims to gradually develop about 20,000 hectares of land and increase irrigated agricultural production, thus enhancing the government’s efforts to achieve economic and agricultural transformation.

It is expected that the announcement of this project will provoke Egyptian and Sudanese reactions, especially since it comes approximately two months after the actual start of operation of the Renaissance Dam, and it focuses on agriculture, unlike the Renaissance Dam, which is focused on generating electricity, which may revive the regional debate regarding the uses and sharing of the Nile water.