Africa at Noon on February 26, 2014

A Look at Ethiopia’s Grand Dam Plan

Paul J. Block
Assistant Professor
Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Time and Loca­tion

12:00pm, 206 Ingra­ham Hall, 1155 Obser­va­tory Drive, Madi­son, WI

Download Poster (pdf)

Description

Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River, currently under construction, will be the largest dam in Africa.  Yet critical questions regarding the reservoir filling strategy, hydropower generation, and subsequent long and short-term effects on stream-flow for downstream countries have not been addressed.  This presentation will explore plausible outcomes of this massive infrastructure project.|

Bio

Paul Block is in his first year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, having prior appointments at Drexel University and Columbia University.  He specializes in hydroclimatology and water resources management.  The goal of his research group is to couple climate, hydrology, and management models and knowledge to reduce risks and promote sustainability of water resources for societal benefit.