Evaluation of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Lake Using Remote Sensing Data and GIS

Abstract

Ethiopia began constructing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in 2011 on the Blue Nile near the borders of Sudan for electricity production. The dam was constructed as a roller-compacted concrete (RCC) gravity-type dam, comprising two power stations, three spillways, and the Saddle Dam. The main dam is expected to be 145 m high and 1780 m long. After filling of the dam, the estimated volume of Nile water to be bounded is about 74 billion m3. The first filling of the dam reservoir started in July 2020. It is crucial to monitor the newly impounded lake and its size for the water security balance for the Nile countries. We used remote sensing techniques and a geographic information system to analyze different satellite images, including multi-looking Sentinel-2, Landsat-9, and Sentinel-1 (SAR), to monitor the changes in the volume of water from 21 July 2020 to 28 August 2022. The volume of Nile water during and after the first, second, and third filling was estimated for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Reservoir Lake and compared for future hazards and environmental impacts. The proposed monitoring and early warning system of the Nile Basin lakes is essential to act as a confidence-building measure and provide an opportunity for cooperation between the Nile Basin countries.