On September 9, 2025, Ethiopia officially inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile, now the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa. GERD will have an installed capacity of 5,150 MW surpassing the nation’s previous electricity output by more than double. The USD 5 billion project, mostly funded (91 per cent) by Ethiopia’s central bank and citizens, symbolizes both national resilience and ambition. Towering at 170 meters and spanning nearly 2 kilometers, the dam holds a 74 billion cubic meters reservoir, hence it is now among the 20 largest hydroelectric facilities globally. Although only two turbines fluctuating around 750 MW were in operation during the ceremony, the dam’s full potential is expected to power millions
Pastoralism remains one of the most important livelihood systems in the Horn of Africa, supporting millions of people through livestock keeping and small-scale agriculture. Across countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Uganda, pastoral communities have historically survived harsh climatic conditions through mobility, communal grazing systems, and indigenous coping mechanisms. However, climate change …
