Tana-Beles interbasin water transfer

The Tana-Beles interbasin water transfer takes water from Lake Tana in Ethiopia and delivers it to the Beles River via the Tana Beles hydroelectric power plant. The water downstream is also used for irrigation.[1]

Beles River downstream of the outlet of the water transferred from Lake Tana

Technical characteristics

It was constructed between 2005 and 2010, specifically as a multi-purpose project, but with a major part of construction involving the hydropower plant, 11.8 km headrace tunnel from Lake Tana, and 7.2 km tailrace tunnel to the Jehana river (minor tributary of the Beles River).[2]

While Lake Tana and the Beles River are both in the Blue Nile/Abbay basin, water would not usually flow from the lake through this river. The interbasin transfer project therefore provides substantial additional water within the Beles River region (on average 77 m3/s [3]), enabling irrigation development, notably of sugarcane.[4]

Social and environmental impacts

The Environmental Impact Assessment of the Tana-Beles interbasin water transfer is not available.[5] The social impacts of the Tana-Beles water transfer have been studied and results published in the high-profile Journal of Hydrology: the dangerously high increases in discharge of Beles river have led to the drowning of 250 people between 2010 and 2018. The negative impacts on rural livelihoods are however overshadowed by national development goals (electricity production). The external costs (coping with damage) are borne by local people, who have low bargaining power.[5]

References
  1. Goor, Q.; Halleux, C.; Mohamed, Y.; Tilmant, A. (12 October 2010). "Optimal operation of a multipurpose multireservoir system in the Eastern Nile River Basin". Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 14 (10): 1895–1908. Bibcode:2010HESS...14.1895G. doi:10.5194/hess-14-1895-2010.
  2. "Beles Multipurpose Project - Salini Impregilo". www.salini-impregilo.com.
  3. Belete, Mulugeta Azeze (2013). "Modeling and Analysis of Lake Tana Sub Basin Water Resources Systems, Ethiopia" (PDF). Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  4. Kassahun, Berhanu; Tegegne, Gebre-Egziabher (2015). Socio-Economic Base-Line Survey of Rural and Urban Households in Tana Sub-Basin, Amhara National Regional State. Forum for Social Studies. p. 2. ISBN 9789994450497.
  5. Annys, S. and colleagues (2019). "Impacts of the hydropower-controlled Tana-Beles interbasin water transfer on downstream rural livelihoods (northwest Ethiopia)". Journal of Hydrology. 569: 436–448. Bibcode:2019JHyd..569..436A. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.12.012.


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