Throughout September 2023, we checked out the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). As Ethiopia’s new dam, it was already offering electrification. Additionally although, we are able to ask whose water they’re utilizing.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Estimating gargantuan portions of water, an Egyptian geologist anticipated 64 billion cubic meters when the fifth filling led to a number of weeks. Just like the previous 4 fillings, it started throughout the July wet season. The dam’s deliberate capability was 74 billion cubic meters of water that might generate as a lot as six thousand megawatts of much-needed energy. The issue? Egypt says that Ethiopia is taking greater than its water share.
As well as, past water safety, the Carnegie Endowment sees the dam as an id situation. Important for its civilization, the Nile is Egyptian historical past and central to the way it sees itself. In contrast, the dam is Ethiopia’s future. As a growth mission, it represents their battle in opposition to poverty.
Who Owns the Nile?
Situated downriver, Egypt and Sudan say they’ve historic rights to the river. On the similar time, the upriver international locations additionally declare possession of the waters that originate inside their borders.
You’ll be able to see how location impacts the controversy. (I added the purple arrow to the BBC map.):
Wanting again, we are able to quote a number of Nile Water Agreements. Within the 1959 Accord, Egypt was allotted 55.5 billion cubic meters of water annually whereas Sudan received 18.5 billion cubic meters. Though the Aswan Excessive Dam was accomplished in 1971, the 1959 Treaty initiated it. Since then, conflicts ebbed and flowed. Prior to now, Ethiopia believed that Egypt used the Nile whereas Ethiopia, the supply of 85 p.c of the water, received little profit. Now although, GERD is meant to double the nation’s electrical capability. The aim is to “light up” the 60 million or so those that compose roughly half of their inhabitants.
Our Backside Line: Dam Tradeoffs
As an upriver nation, Ethiopia has a bonus that’s typical for dam constructing international locations. When the U.S. constructed the Hoover Dam, it value Mexico water. Considerably equally, Syria and Iraq had been affected by Turkey’s Ataturk Dam. And Pakistan and India really feel an influence from China’s management of waters that movement to them.
Moreover, giant dams have an effect on the surroundings. The Aswan Excessive dam, lowering agricultural productiveness and fish shares, affected ecosystems. Scientists additionally hypothesize that that the burden of the water in Lake Nasser might have had a seismic influence.
And but, if GERD lives as much as expectations, it’s going to diminish Ethiopian poverty. By way of an Egyptian lens, the tradeoff is their water safety.
My sources and extra: Evolving throughout greater than a decade, the Ethiopia dam dispute was up to date by Egypt At the moment. and the Carnegie Endowment. In the meantime, this OSU 2013 article, although dated, gave a radical overview of the information. And eventually, as we speak’s submit jogged my memory of one other shared river.
Please word that our featured picture of GERD is from Minasse Wondimu Hailu/AA/image alliance. Additionally, a number of of as we speak’s sentences had been in previous econlife posts.
The submit Why a Dam Is About Extra Than Water appeared first on Econlife.
