Egypt says this will interrupt its own water and power supply.Įthiopia, meanwhile, says the filling will have minimal effect on other countries.
It will take between eight and ten years to fill the new dam. It has also expressed concerns about the potential impact the initial filling of the dam will have on areas downstream. It has questioned whether the new dam will be suitably safe. Both dams, then, will tower over different portions of the Nile River – and starkly represent the dependence of the two nations on the river’s water.Įgypt has made no secret of its unhappiness about Ethiopia’s plan. When completed, Ethiopia’s dam will challenge the status quo set by the Aswan High Dam. It has stood for the last 60 years as a symbol of Egypt’s hegemony on the river, and provided Egypt with power, water security and a strategic geopolitical advantage. The biggest mega-structure on the Nile River is the Aswan High Dam. Continued and transparent diplomatic engagement is needed to broker a better relationship between all the countries along the Nile. Any ongoing tension between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt might stifle those benefits. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will offer great benefits to all 11 countries and their citizens. One theme we explore is that the dam represents a push back against Egypt’s view of itself as the region’s water powerhouse and “guardian” of the Nile River. It also looks at what pushed Ethiopia to break away from discussions and attempts at diplomatic cooperation.
But its work has been hindered by Sudan and Egypt’s attitude, among other issues.Ī new book, which I coauthored, explores why Ethiopia took unilateral decision in 2011 to begin construction on the dam. The Nile Basin Initiative was set up in 1999 to foster cooperation among the 11 countries that share the river. Some of these relate to technical issues and other to the region’s politics.ĭiplomatic concerns include the fact that, for a long time, Egypt and Sudan have believed that they have more right to the waters of the Nile than other countries. The dam can store 74 billion cubic metres of water, about half the volume of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt.Ī project of this size also, inevitably, brings challenges. When completed, the dam will have installed capacity to generate 6000 MW electricity to relieve Ethiopia’s acute energy shortage and also export to Sudan and possibly Egypt. The 11 nations are hoping that the massive Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is currently under construction, will open up many new opportunities from electric power supply to reducing evaporation losses. One of them is Ethiopia which contributes about 85% of the Nile water flowing to Sudan and Egypt. Africa’s longest river, the Nile runs through 11 countries.
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