ADDIS ABABA,  (BERNAMA-NNN-ENA) — Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State in western Ethiopia is planning to exploit the tourism potential which will be created by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) now under construction across the Blue Nile River.

It foresees earning huge revenues from tourism will place the sector next to agriculture in the state the Second Growth and Transformation Period (GTP), the five-year development set to take upon completion of the first GTP this year.

The regional state where the dam is being constructed is home to the Berta, Gumuz, Shinasha, Mao and Komo nationalities as well as diverse natural attractions.

A recent study conducted by Addis Ababa University has indicated that nations and nationalities which have remained secluded as well as the cultural and historical heritage in the regional state would be exposed to interaction with and be seen by both local and foreign tourists.

(Eds note: Capable of producing 6,000 megawatts (MW) of electrricity, the dam will be the largest hydro-electric power plant in Africa when completed, as well as the 11th largest in the world, Its storage reservoir will have a surface area of 1561 square kilometres at a level of 640 metres, with a volume of water equal to 79 billion cubic metres).

The dam is expected to create a 1,700-square kilometre artificial lake, with islands which will shelter varieties of birds, animals and fish. The shores of the lake will support various plants, while the islands would serve tourists who take boat trips on the lake, the study pointed out.

The Chief Administrator of the regional state, Ahmed Nasser, said the region would prioritise tourism after agriculture in the second GTP. Towns in the region have already started becoming active to ensure they benefit from tourists who will be visiting the dam, he added.

Experience exchange forums involving professionals will be organized as extensive study is required to maximize benefits from tourism, he added.

Some 5,000 volunteer households would be resettled before the area is flooded to create the lake, Ahmed said, adding that they would be compensated and resettled close to the lake so that they could benefit from activities around it. —

Source: BERNAMA-NNN-ENA