GERD: Powering Up Poverty Eradication

Sustainable Development Goals

On the 25th September 2015 at the United Nations summit on sustainable development, the world adopted a historical document titled “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” The agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity and consists of 17 sustainable development goals of most urgent priority to the international community.


Goal 1: End Poverty in all its Forms, the Energy Factor

Amongst the SDGs, Goal 7 on Energy has been recognised as an enabler for achieving almost all of the Sustainable Development Goals, “from the eradication of poverty through advancements in health, education, water supply and industrialisation, to combating climate change.” Thus, failure to avail reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy supply means that sustainable development grinds to a halt - and subsistence itself becomes uncertain.

The note attempts to show how the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam enables countries in North-Eastern Africa to achieving sustainable development goals. Let us start from Goal 1.

Sustainable development goals “recognise that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.” Thus, Ending Poverty in all its forms becomes its first goal. 

 


700 million people or 10% of the world population, still live in extreme poverty surviving on $1.90 a day. The majority of people living in sub-Saharan Africa and among these people 23 million Ethiopians, 10 million Sudanese, and 1 million Egyptians, 17 million Kenyans, and 8 million South Sudanese live in extreme poverty, and lack of access to modern energy has been identified as a primary challenge in the fight against poverty.



GERD: Electrifying Poverty Eradication 

These countries need a reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy supply to eradicate poverty because energy is “the master resource” for development! The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, with its installed capacity of over 5000MW of electric power, will contribute significantly to ensuring the much sought after access to energy for North-Eastern Africa. Thus, GERD can play a significant role in lifting 59 million people out of extreme poverty in the region.

 


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