Dutch Deltares withdraws from studies of Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam

The Dutch firm says insufficient guarantees were given that an independent and high quality study could result from the consultancy process on Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam project

(Ahram Online) — Dutch consultancy firm Deltares has decided not to participate in studies related to the assessment of the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam.

In an email to Ahram Hebdo, the consultancy firm said it concluded that the conditions imposed by the Tripartite National Committee (TNC), which includes representatives from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, and the French consultancy firm BRL, did not provide sufficient guarantees for Deltares that an independent high-quality study could be carried out.

“Deltares regrets that it has to withdraw from these challenging studies as its knowledge, expertise and experience in the region fits quite well with this complex and economically important project,” the consultancy firm said.

The future of the Renaissance Dam negotiations remain unclear after Deltares’s withdrawal; especially after Egypt said Wednesday that it will host a meeting involving all the included parties.

Egyptian minister of irrigation Hossam Moghazy and his advisor Alaa Yassin were not available for comments

Earlier in August, the TNC previously agreed to give 70 percent of the research workload to the French consultancy firm, while the other 30 percent was given to the Dutch firm.

The two foreign consultancy firms were supposed to reach an agreement and deliver their reports 5 September to a committee of representatives and experts from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan.

They missed a deadline in August and forced the TNC to schedule the new deadline of 5 September, after a meeting in Addis Ababa.