Integrated design and construction approach to hydrotechnical structures in Eritrea

Abstract

During the process of design and construction of water management facilities and structures, such as reservoirs, dams, spillways, water intakes, etc., it is important to pay attention to the specific conditions of a particular country. Since the rapprochement among Eritrea, Ethiopia and Djibouti in 2018, the geopolitical dynamics of the region has changed to a different level. These regional changes will significantly contribute to the development of extractive and processing industries, agriculture, trade, construction and tourism in Eritrea. However, all these developments unquestionably require sustainable and efficient water use, intensive development of water management and water technologies, among others. Based on the specific conditions of Eritrea, identification of existing main trends in the design and construction of water management facilities and structures followed by formulation of practical recommendations and future directions has been the focus of this study. Reliable and relevant information has been processed and analysed using general scientific research methods, including generalization and analysis, synthesis and analogy, historical and hypothetical methods of cognition. This paper comprehended that the design, construction and operation of water management structures should consider the predominantly hot climatic condition of the country, while observing the main development trends in the field. These activities help in ensuring reliable and trouble-free operation of hydraulic structures, using modern and progressive achievements of hydraulic engineering science and global practice in the field of dam engineering and construction of culverts taking into account environmental requirements and norms, and using modern high-performance mechanisms and methods of production of hydraulic works. Moreover, the hydrological and water management conditions of Eritrea are characterized by limited water resources, poor knowledge of water bodies, and lack of reliable hydrological, meteorological and geological information. Under these circumstances, it would be necessary to use mathematical modelling for understanding and forecasting hydrological processes in river basins.