There was a perception that building dams in the eastern and western lowlands of Eritrea is hardly possible. The big concern was that large streams of water from highlands would inundate the embankments while sediments would shorten the dams’ life. W
Kerkebet Dam: Birth of a Lake
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By far, the 330 million cubic meters capacity Kerkebet Dam is the biggest man-made dam (lake) in Eritrea. This massive dam became possible through integrated teamwork of local construction companies, local communities, members of EDF, and regional and sub-regional administrations at a total cost of 1 billion Nakfa.
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Eritrea’s resolve to develop and bring about social change has been seen in its Government’s determination to transform its agriculture hinged on building dams. The construction of
Kerkebet dam, the largest dam in Eritrea, is a case in point.
Kerkebet dam was built along Barka River with a view to augmenting the water resources of Eritrea and changing the ecosystem of its surrounding. Barka River, the second-largest seasonal river in Eritrea, flows from the highlands to the vast plains of the Gash-Barka region. Therefore, harnessing this river of a big magnitude required careful planning as any slight mistake could lead to flo
Eritrea’s resolve to develop and bring about social change has been seen in its Government’s determination to transform its agriculture hinged on building dams. The construction of Kerkebet dam, the largest dam in Eritrea, is a case in point.Kerkebet
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There was a perception that building dams in the eastern and western lowlands of Eritrea is hardly possible. The big concern was that large streams of water from highlands would inundate the embankments while sediments would shorten the dams’ life. What is more, many argued that building dams in an arid region would not be effective as a large amount of water would evaporate due to the hot climate.
But emphasizing the strategic importance of building dams in the eastern and western lowlands of Eritrea, Eng. Dawit Berhane, Projects Hydrologist at Segen Construction Company, said, “Every drop of water matters to the normal livelihood of Eritreans residing in the eastern and western lowlands of the country. For them, a drop of water is the very means of their survival in such an arid zone.”