The Nile River Conflict: Understanding Egypt’s Opposition to Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam

2023-06-12 07:41:00

The Middle East and North Africa are some of the most water-scarce regions in the world. Lack of fresh water sources is a major problem for both countries. But for Egypt, the solution to such problems is the Nile. More than 90 percent of the country’s water needs are met by the Nile River. But Ethiopia’s move ahead with the construction of a new dam is alarming Egypt. Egypt and Ethiopia have been at loggerheads for years over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, a tributary of the Nile. Ethiopia says the dam will not reduce Egypt and Sudan’s water share. But Ethiopia is making matters worse by avoiding an agreement between the two countries. Egypt accuses Ethiopia of defying international law by filling the dam without an agreement.

A dam built in Ethiopia will have a negative impact on the Egyptian water supply system and risk a shortage in the country. It was on this occasion that Egypt came forward against the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. For Egypt it is also a matter of survival. Meanwhile, Egypt sees the issue as an existential one.

The operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), one of Ethiopia’s greatest needs, is in crisis. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has come forward opposing the operation of the dam. Only the African Union is entitled to mediate the water supply issue between the two countries. But other countries are not trying to interfere in the problem between the two countries. Other countries see the issue as one that is unlikely to be resolved.

Why is Egypt opposed?

About 90 percent of Egypt’s water supply system relies on the Nile River. A dam that Ethiopia is building across the Nile will push Egypt into a water shortage. The Egyptian government is currently spending billions of dollars on water conservation projects. Drinking water subsidy is removed to prevent wastage of drinking water. Crops that require more water have also been restricted. But none of these restrictions will solve Egypt’s water crisis. Egypt’s population is growing by more than a million every year. This means that each year there is a huge increase in the amount of water that Egypt needs. Moreover, it is believed that the dam built in Ethiopia will cause a big drop in the amount of water reaching Egypt. That means 55.5 billion cubic meters of water shortage.

Egypt uses 60 billion cubic meters of water for agriculture every year. About 10 billion cubic meters are used for drinking water. But if the amount of water decreases, it will become a problem that will significantly affect Egypt’s employment sector.

What is special about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam?

The primary purpose of the dam is to solve Ethiopia’s acute energy shortage and generate electricity for distribution to neighboring countries. In 2011, the construction work of Ethiopia dam started. With an installed capacity of 5.15 GW, the dam will be one of the 20 largest hydropower plants in the world upon completion. Starting from 2020, water filling has started in a phased manner. Ethiopia has already stored 20 billion cubic meters of water in three years from 2020. 11 African countries share the Nile River. The construction of the Ethiopian dam is an African project. Ethiopia claims that the dam will help green Africa.

But Egypt argues that the dam is a threat to Arab water security. The conflict is also a clash between Egypt’s ancient tradition centered on the Nile and Ethiopia’s newly established existence. Egypt has the driest land in the world. As such, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Samesh Shoukry said that the operation of the dam in Ethiopia will cause great danger to his country. The issue of water supply in the Nile River has reached a point where the relations between the two countries have worsened.

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