Match. The $4 billion hydroelectric dam . But the project has caused concern. The establishment of the Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, up 145 and a storage capacity of 74 . The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: Limited Options for a Resolution Indeed, Principle II notes that the purpose of the [Dam] is for power generation and regional integration through generation of sustainable and reliable clean energy supply. This is crucial given that hydroelectricity generation simply involves holding water back behind a dam for a period of time, and then releasing it again in a managed manner so that the electric turbines can spin consistently. IDS (2013). (2012). Environmental Impacts Of Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam On The The largest permanent desert lake in the world, Turkana has three national parks that are now listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Even in 2023, there are only 46 state parties, with key actors such as the US, Canada and Brazil remaining outside the Conventions regime. The dispute has prompted numerous international interventions, including by Gulf Arab states, which have issued political statements and led mediation efforts. 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. Although Egypt and Sudan are likely to resist efforts to include the other upstream riparians in the negotiations or to allow a regional organization, such as the NBI, to serve as an implementing organ, they must understand that the Nile River is a regional watercourse and its management must be approached from a regional perspective. The CFA was a political success for the eight upstream states such as Ethiopia as it favoured those states and isolated the downstream states of Egypt and Sudan and made them appear recalcitrant. In: Yihdego, Z. et al. Egypt says. First came the 1999 Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA). Ethiopian opinion is divided over the need for such huge investments in hydroelectric energy when the national network is still very underdeveloped and unable to cope. to hydrate farmland), it would effectively be taken from downstream states like Egypt. These countries should return to the NBIs Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), which was concluded in 2010, try to resolve the disagreements that caused Egypt and Sudan to decline to sign the CFA, and use it as a model for a future binding legal regime. Learn. Given these considerations, it seems that Ethiopia has all but won the dispute. There has long been a conflict over water rights among the riparian countries of the Eastern Nile Basin (Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia). All three countries have a vested interest in a properly operated dam. Ethiopia also seems to have the political upper hand given that the Dam is effectively a fait accompli and given that Egypts erstwhile downstream ally, Sudan, switched sides in the dispute leaving the Egyptians diplomatically isolated. Second, the upstream riparian states must recognize and accept Egypts near total dependence on the waters of the Nile River. Water scarcity is a growing problem. Thus, it is only through cooperation that Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, and the other riparians can peacefully resolve conflicts over the Nile and achieve the type of water use that will contribute significantly to regional economic and human development. Could the Nile dispute be an opportunity to boost freshwater technology? The researchers looked at the dynamic interactions between the Nile's hydrology and infrastructure and Egypt's economy. Egypt wants control and guarantees for its share of Nile waters. Sudans agricultural and hydropower interests align with those of Ethiopia while it has a strong interest in not alienating its 'big brother' and northern neighbour, Egypt, with whom it shares a long and partly contested border (Whittington et al., 2014). Nile Basins GERD dispute creates risks for Egypt, Sudan, and beyond. However, it also entails potential negative effects on Egypt, if not carefully managed (see alsoSecurity implications of growing water scarcity in Egypt). Perhaps the most obvious argument that Ethiopia may want to make is a rebuttal to Egypts continued reliance on the Nile Water Treaties. This represents a new challenge to the basins current hydro-political regime and status quo, as it may drive Sudans interest in renegotiating its current quota(Link et al., 2012;Whittington et al., 2014). 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. Sudan and Egypt, which rely most heavily on the . 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. Under the Ethiopian constitution, the state is the proprietor of the countrys land and natural resources, which gives the government significant control over the allocation and use of land. Many historical grievances and distrust remain on the Ethiopian side regarding Egypt (Gebreluel, 2014), with some Ethiopian journalists assessing the 'Declaration of Principles' as being more in favour of Egypt than Ethiopia (Zegabi East Africa News, 2015). It will also give Ethiopia more control . Solar and wind power could break the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Review a brief history of copyright in the United States. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a 6000 MW hydropower project on the Blue Nile, which the Ethiopian government plans to build to fulfill the country's energy needs. Consequently, under the principle of pacta tertiis nec nocent nec prosunt, it could demonstrate that those treaties cannot bind it as it was a third party and did not give its consent. According to Baradei, hydropower dams create immense turbulence in the water, where chemical reactions such as dissolved oxygen can destroy fauna and flora. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 56(4), 687-702. On March 4, 1982, Bertha Wilson became the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. A significant segment of local opinion is also aware of the well-known problems that come with mega-dams wherever they are built, among them population displacements and resettlement, reductions in the quality of life, the spread of waterborne diseases, salinisation and the loss of productive and profitable lands, more intense competition over the remaining available land, and losses of cultural and historic heritage. The Nile-COM is the highest political and decisionmaking body of the NBI. Salman, S.M.A. Moreover, after the completion of the GERD, Egypt could run short of water if the operation of the GERD was not carefully coordinated with that of the AHD. Stratfor Worldview. Fast Track Approach to Design and Construction at Grand Ethiopian The withdrawal from the project by Deltares has been met by a wave of objections in Egypt for fear . This is because it is traditionally understood to refer to waterways that form intrinsic parts of international boundaries. Egypts main argument might be that, despite being unsatisfactory and anachronistic, the Nile Waters Treaties remain good law and are enforceable against the respective parties. 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 (. An unsubscribe function is also at the bottom of every newsletter. This was an attempt at a wholesale replacement for the Nile Waters Treaties. The Untold Story of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Ethiopia is pinning its hopes of economic development and power generation on the Blue Nile dam, which Egypt fears will imperil its water supply. While such dams also come with long-term benefits to local populations, the chief beneficiary will always be the state, which reaps profits from the sale of surplus electricity. While this means new opportunities to develop extended irrigation-based agriculture for the Sudanese, it represents also a new threat for Egypts current Nile water utilisation (Whittington et al., 2014). Such a mitigation program can make it much easier for Egyptian and Sudanese authorities to cooperate with Ethiopia and the other riparians in creating and adopting an agreement for management of the Nile. Since then, there has been a constant stream of complaints regarding the social and environmental impacts on downriver areas, including large displacements of local populations. In response, Ethiopia threatened military force to defend the dam and protect its interests (The New Arab, 2020a). The Government of Egypt, a country which relies heavily on the waters of the Nile, has demanded that Ethiopia cease construction on the dam as a preconditions to negotiations, sought regional support for its position, and some political leaders have discussed methods to sabotage it. Third, Egypt should abandon continued references to its so-called natural historical rights (i.e., the water rights granted Egypt by the 1929 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty and the 1959 Agreement between Egypt and Sudan). Sudan is caught between the competing interests of Egypt and Ethiopia. The above-mentioned Gilgel Gibe III Dam stood out as the worlds most controversial dam until the GERD. But the Ethiopian elites show little interest in addressing such concerns, bent as they are on a nationalist revivalist project that claims an Ethiopian exceptionalism that places Addis Ababa above international law as it pursues a water-management strategy that has less to do with its development aims than with its ambitions to weaponise water in a bid for regional hegemony. By Ambassador Gurjit Singh*. Such an understanding and appreciation of Egypts water vulnerability would help the riparians develop a water management protocol that can significantly enhance equitable and reasonable use while minimizing significant harm to downstream riparians. l It is in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, about 15 km east of the border with Sudan. Africa's largest dam fills Ethiopia with hope and Egypt with dread Ethiopia completes third filling of Blue Nile mega-dam reservoir 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. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: Source of cooperation or - USGS In March 2015, a 'Declaration of Principles' was signed by the leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, setting the foundations for an initial cooperation. Ethiopia seems to have the legal upper hand in this dispute. This article quantifies the major benefits of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project for Sudan and Egypt based on GERDP technical design and quantitative analysis. First, as noted above, Ethiopia contributes 86% of the water in the Nile and so it seems only natural that it has an equitable claim to using Nile waters to aid growth in its impoverished economy. This dam, set to be the largest in Africa in terms of power capacity, continues to cause disagreement between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt on filling and operation strategies. In the modern era, the US used water to blackmail Egypt. (2017). Egypt, Ethiopia to form joint committee on Renaissance Dam. According to this narrative, the Blue Nile, or Abay in Amharic, is a purely Ethiopian river. Nevertheless, it is important to take stock of the human costs, social problems, and lasting environmental impacts of this strategy which have already drawn considerable criticism and concern. February 14, 2022 JPEG 74 cubic metres. Maguid, M.A. It was in the hope of protecting Lake Turkana against such threats that it was listed as a World Heritage Site. Chinese banks provided financing for the purchase of the turbines and electrical equipment for the hydroelectric plants. (PDF) Benefit of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project (GERDP) for Yet, Ethiopia is fully aware of Somalias economic dependence on the rivers originating from Ethiopias highlands. The dispute over the GERD is part of a long-standing feud between Egypt and Sudanthe downstream stateson the one hand, and Ethiopia and the upstream riparians on the other over access to the Niles waters, which are considered a lifeline for millions of people living in Egypt and Sudan. Cooperation among the three countries has never been more important as demand for water rises, she added, due to factors such as population growth, urbanization and industrialization. These two factors could become serious problems. Indeed, as Tekuya notes, Ethiopia persistently objected to the 1929 and 1959 treaties and made clear that its failure to exploit the Nile resulted from a lack of capacity rather than a lack of a legal right to do so. The Politics Of The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Analysis Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam: Ending Africa's Oldest Geopolitical Rivalry? Another important area of cooperation is research, especially in areas like climate change, the fight against terrorism and extremism, and human rights. There are three key articles. Alaa al-Zawahiri, a member of the Egyptian National Panel of Experts studying the effects of the Renaissance Dam, believes as much. For Ethiopia, GERD is considered an economic game-changer. They generate electricity, store water for crop irrigation and help to prevent floods. (DOC) Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Academia.edu After announcing the dam's construction, and with a view to the increasing tensions, the Ethiopian government invited both Egypt and Sudan to form an International Panel of Experts (IPoE) to solicit understanding of the benefits, costs and impacts of the GERD. The disadvantages for Egypt and Sudan are the possibility of reduced river flow, although this is only really a problem during the years of filling the dam. Ethiopian general threatens military force to defend Nile dam as negotiations with Egypt falter. Already, the United States has threatened to withhold development aid to Ethiopia if the conflict is not resolved and an agreement reached. Gebreluel, G. (2014). We do know that Ethiopia is already seeing longer droughts and worse floods. The Dam is used to generate electricity and went into partial operation in 2022. Downstream countries Egypt and Sudan have expressed concerns over the impacts of the dam on their water supply. A political requirement will be to agree on rules for filling the GERD reservoir and on operating rules for the GERD, especially during periods of drought. Impacts of Grand Renaissance Dam on Economic Development in Ethiopia The Political Deadlock on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Ethiopian Yearbook of International Law 2017. 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. 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. Still, if the exception was somehow activated, it would mean that Egypt remains entitled to 66% of the Nile River waters and that this figure should be used as the baseline for any future negotiations. More alarmingly, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak allegedly even considered bombing the Dam. per year, that would constitute a drought, to push the three countries to adhere to their obligations in accordance with the rules of international law in order to reach a fair and balanced solution to the issue of the GERD, 1929 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty and 1959 Agreement. International experts analyze impacts of Ethiopian dam Sign up for news on environment, conflict and cooperation. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a critical project that intends to provide hydroelectricity to support the livelihoods of millions of people in the region. There are suggestions that Egyptian officials in the World Bank managed to precipitate a policy that funds would only be awarded for non-contentious water projects, thus precluding funding for the Dam. According to Article 16, former colonies do not inherit the treaty obligations of their former colonial rulers and instead receive a clean slate. However, Egypt could argue that the territorial treaty exception, under Articles 11 and 12, applies whereby colonial treaty provisions concerning boundaries must survive the impact of succession and bind successor states. Because the strategy of land allocation and dam construction relied on senior executive decisions and foreign funding from China, above all, the government was largely freed of pressures of transparency and accountability. Amazingly, the normally required social and environmental impact studies were only conducted three years after construction of the dam had began. Ethiopia: The Untold Story of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam This crisis has raised great concerns among large sectors of the Egyptian society, especially in light of recalling such statements as "water war," "water militarization," "military management of the GERD crisis," "water terrorism," and "Ethiopian hydro-hegemony over the Nile Basin" [ 1, 2 ].



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