Ethiopia says it will take a further four to six years to fill up the reservoir to its maximum flood season capacity of 74bcm. The Dam is being built by Ethiopia on the Nile River and is fiercely opposed by Egypt. Nevertheless, Egypt must not use sympathy for its water vulnerability as a weapon to frustrate the efforts of the other riparians to secure an agreement that is balanced, fair, and equitable. Ethiopia, one of the poorest countries in Africa, has the second largest population in the continent. At this point, though, the GERD is nearly completed, and so Egypt has shifted its position to trying to secure a political agreement over the timetable for filling the GERDs reservoir and how the GERD will be managed, particularly during droughts. First came the 1999 Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA). Subsequent impact studies were performed by the European Investment Bank and the African Development Bank, and in the light of the results, these banks cancelled their funding for Gibe III. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and hydroelectric project is located 700 km northeast of the capital city Addis Abeba, in the Benishangul--Gumaz region of Ethiopia, along the Blue Nile River. Nile negotiations break down as Egypt, Sudan accuse Ethiopia of rejecting legally binding agreement. Egypt has also escalated its call to the international community to get involved. In general, the Ethiopian development philosophy rests on two pillars: mega-dams and mega-agricultural projects. grand ethiopian renaissance dam. Second, the upstream riparian states must recognize and accept Egypts near total dependence on the waters of the Nile River. For a decade, Egypt and Ethiopia have been at a diplomatic stalemate over the Nile's management. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Its Effect on Egypt Ethiopia rejects Arab League resolution on Renaissance Dam for seepage and evaporation, but afforded no water to Ethiopia or other upstream riparian statesthe sources of most of the water that flows into the Nile. In fact, about 85 % of the overall Nile flow originates on Ethiopian territory (Swain, 2011). In that light, Egypt should minimize trips to Washington, D.C., New York, and Brussels, and instead use its diplomatic resources to improve its relations with the other riparian states. For example, Ethiopians and Egyptians are more likely to understand and appreciate the challenges that they face, particularly in the areas of water security, climate change, food production, and poverty alleviation, if they regularly interact with each other and engage in more bottom-up, participatory and inclusive approaches to the resolution of their conflicts. Link, P.M. et al. The Danger of Multi-Party Democracy and Free Elections in Plural Societies Recognizing the Muslim Brotherhood as a Legitimate Player in Egyptian Politics was a Big Mistake Ethiopian Partnering with ASKY to Establish West African Cargo Hub Ethiopia and China's ZTE singed $800 million mobile deal H and M to build factories in Ethiopia It can be demand-driven, typically caused by population growth, and supply-driven, typically caused by decreasing amounts of fresh water often resulting from climate change or a result of societal factors such as poverty. Cairo . Kandeel, A. The 6,000-megawatt Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, shown here in May 2016, is scheduled to begin producing electricity in 2017. l It is in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, about 15 km east of the border with Sudan. Four of these would potentially be located on the main river and one would eventually evolve into the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). When it is completed, with its concrete volume of 10.2 million m3, GERD will feature the largest dam in Africa. That seems unlikely given that the DoP concerns the Dam alone and was agreed only between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan; whereas the Nile Waters Treaties concern the whole Nile Basin and involve many more states. Government of the United States of America. The Friends of Lake Turkana, an NGO representing indigenous groups whose livelihoods are dependent on the Lake, filed a suit to halt the construction of the dam. Addis Ababa has said the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a $4bn hydropower project, is crucial to its economic development and to provide power. The politicisation of the Niles water and the utilisation of development projects to achieve political ends are not new phenomena. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Gets Set to Open - Hiiraan Online Feb 11th 2021 DAMS HAVE several uses. Ethiopia: The Untold Story of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Omar, A. India dispatch: Supreme Court limits DNA paternity testing in divorce proceedings, prioritizing childrens privacy rights, US dispatch: Texas case could limit access to abortion medication, Copyright infringement made federal crime. Revisiting hydro-hegemony from a benefitsharing perspective: the case of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. This agreement could pave the way for a more detailed cooperation framework, and represents a major step toward dispute resolution. Hence, the customary law argument might be too ambitious. Officials in Addis Ababa argue that the GERD will have no major impact on water flow into the Nile, instead arguing that the hydropower dam will provide benefits to countries in the region, including as a source of affordable electric power and as a major mechanism for the management of the Nile, including the mitigation of droughts and water salinity. Egypt says. Hence, it is hard to see how Egypt could make a compelling argument that it has been harmed by the Dam. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is a Big Deal - BORGEN To African commentators in recent decades, massive investments in mega-energy and irrigation projects were emblematic of the African economic emergence, and Ethiopia at that time vaunted itself as one of the fastest-growing economies in the region. Already, on June 19, 2020, Egyptian authorities called upon the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to intervene after tripartite talks had failed to secure an agreement on the filling schedule for the GERD. They can also cause dispute and heartachefor example, over damage to. Egypt's 100 million people rely on the Nile for 90% of the country's water needs. Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) - ArcGIS StoryMaps The New Arab (2020b). For example, in 2017, the UNSC highlighted the security risks of water stress in the Lake Chad Basin Region, affecting Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, based on a combination of water scarcity, drought, desertification and land degradation. The three fillings hitherto, with the most recent in August 2022, imposed no discernible harm on downstream states. Rendering of GERDEthiopia is building one of the largest dams in the world, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), on the River Nile near the Sudan border. As a hydroelectric project, the dam is expected to generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity. The principles of cooperation have not been translated into specific technical agreements on dam management (and more), in the context of difficult domestic politics for both sides. The current filling which is ongoing since early July 2021 has presented no issues as well. Maguid, M.A. Practically from the outset, the World Bank and international donors withdrew funding due to a lack of transparency, driven home when it was learned that the construction had begun without a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency in Ethiopia. Stratfor Worldview. It provides clear benefits to all three riparian, such as flood control, reduced flood damages and sediment control. There has long been a conflict over water rights among the riparian countries of the Eastern Nile Basin (Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia). It and several other large dams in Ethiopia could turn the country into Africa's hydropower hub. Egypt wants control and guarantees for its share of Nile waters. International rights organisations have reported that many cases of displacement were not voluntary and that entire communities were driven from their villages. Egyptian Water Security and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: Why Who Is Financing Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam? The Eastern Nile Basin comprises Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Ethiopia has never 'consumed' significant shares of the Nile's water so far, as its previous political and economic fragility in combination with a lack of external financial support, due to persistent Egyptian opposition to projects upstream, prevented it from implementing large-scale projects. It's very unpredictable and it can be very dangerous," says Pottinger. Ethiopian Renaissance Dam & Its implications on Egypt 74 cubic metres. Cairo Controversy prevailed in the Egyptian public opinion, after Deltares, a Dutch advisory institute, announced on Sept. 15 its withdrawal from a study to assess the risks that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is under construction on the Blue Nile, can cause to Egypt and Sudan. Turning then to Ethiopia. Neither the Egyptian nor the Ethiopian governments received positive domestic feedback on their agreement. "The Blue Nile is the lifeblood of Egypt and its people and critics fear the dam could significantly reduce water flow to the country." "Climate change is such a big unknown. to hydrate farmland), it would effectively be taken from downstream states like Egypt. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the Ethiopian Challenge of These hydraulic mega-projects underscore the ambitious local and regional political aims of the Ethiopian ruling elites. However, as a result of the ability and willingness of Ethiopians at home and abroad to invest in the dam project, the government was able to raise a significant portion of the money needed to start the construction of the GERD. GIGA Focus No. It can help the riparian states outline principles, rights, and obligations for cooperative management of the resources of the Nile. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing AG, 79-110. Disputes over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), hailed by both Egypt and Ethiopia as a new chapter in relations between Egypt and Ethiopia based on openness and mutual understanding and cooperation (. Despite several tripartite meetings between November 2013 and January 2014, no agreement was reached on the implementation of the IPoE recommendations and controversies were evolving around the constitution of a trilateral committee. Factbox: Key facts about Ethiopia's giant Nile dam | Reuters The current global energy crisis may help in this regard in the sense that Egyptians may find the allure of discounted hydroelectric energy stronger than ever before. Terms in this set (10) how long and high is the dam? We shall begin with the former. Both citizens and governments should be made part of the solution to the water-related conflicts that now threaten peace and security in the Nile Basin. Crucially, however, despite being signed by Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, the legal status of the DoP was left (deliberately) vague. For more on the background and history of these important relationships, see my book with former AGI Director Mwangi S. Kimenyi, Governing the Nile River Basin: The Search for a New Legal Regime., not be filled without a legally binding agreement, when the flow of Nile water to the dam falls below 35-40 b.c.m. For Ethiopia, GERD is considered an economic game-changer. Egypt, Ethiopia to form joint committee on Renaissance Dam. Test. Ultimately, however, Egypt did not sign the CFA (nor did Sudan) hence it does not resolve the dispute. Over the years, Egypt has used its extensive diplomatic connections and the colonial-era 1929 and 1959 agreements to successfully prevent the construction of any major infrastructure projects on the tributaries of the Nile. But controversy has surrounded the project ever since it was announced in 2011 especially concerning its . The grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam (eg) - SlideShare 2011. how much does the reservoir contain? According to some estimates, the Ethiopian government had to arrange for the resettlement of 1.5 million people in the four regions of Gambela, Somali, Afar, and Benishangul-Gumuz. In the absence of the application of the Watercourses Convention, various other legal arrangements and political declarations must be considered to gain an understanding of the regulation of the Dam and the Nile River more generally. Download PDF 1.40 MB. By Ambassador Gurjit Singh*. They generate electricity, store water for crop irrigation and help to prevent floods. Even without taking the dam into account, the largely desert country is short of water. Thus, as with the Watercourses Convention and the CFA, the DoP does not offer a clear legal resolution to the dispute. While the water will return to its normal state before reaching Egypt, the damage to these populations will be permanent. Von Lossow, T. & Roll, S. (2015). Across Ethiopia, poor farmers and rich business executives alike . The piece (i) gives a brief history of the Dam; (ii) outlines the role of the Watercourses Convention; (iii) explains the significance of the Nile Waters Treaties; (iv) sets out the main legal arguments for Egypt and (v) provides the main legal arguments for Ethiopia. In my opinion, this should be negotiable, to fill the lake over a longer period, and only when the river is sufficiently full. Perhaps the most obvious argument that Ethiopia may want to make is a rebuttal to Egypts continued reliance on the Nile Water Treaties. Despite the controversy and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam's effect on Egypt and Sudan, it appears that the Ethiopian government will continue to move forward with filling the dam. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Egypts original goal was to have the project purely and simply cancelled. The United States is Committed to Egypt's Water Security and Advancing