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
The Gash-Barka region has seasonal rivers that have a flow of millions of cubic meters of water. However, relying exclusively on seasonal water for farming and animal husbandry in an arid zone with a high rate of evaporation is not sustainable. That
Share
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.”