COOPERATION FOR DAM SAFETY IN THE EASTERN NILE

While most dams in the Eastern Nile are small, additional large transboundary, multipurpose dams are being considered and constructed to tap the region’s vast water resources potential. The transboundary nature of tributaries in the region, which contribute 85-90 percent of the Nile River’s annual flow, lends complexity to the planning, operation, and maintenance of dams. Safe functioning of dams of all sizes requires monitoring, evaluation and identification of safety risks over their operational lifetime – not just during construction. Many of the countries in the Eastern Nile aim to improve their attention to dam safety, which historically faced institutional, technical, and financial limitations. ENTRO strives to assist countries on this front, to protect the people, property, and environment in the Eastern Nile from dam failure and adverse transboundary impacts. Through the CIWA-supported dam safety program, ENTRO has made important strides on dam safety.