January 22, 2021
Birth of a Lake
By Kesete Ghebrehiwet |Eritrea’s resolve to develop and bring about social change has been seen in its Government’s determination to transform its agriculture hinged on building dams. The construction of Kerkebet dam, the largest dam in Eritrea, is a case in point. Kerkebet dam was built along Barka River with a view to augmenting the water resources of Eritrea and changing the ecosystem of its surrounding. Barka River, the second largest seasonal river in Eritrea, flows from the highlands to the vast plains of the Gash-Barka region. Therefore, harnessing this river of a big magnitude required careful planning as any slight mistake could lead to flooding.Before the construction of Kerkebet dam, extensive preliminary design and feasibility studies were carried out to explore and select a suitable site.
