(2014). No water at all was allocated to Ethiopia. 74 cubic metres. The Chinese donors who have agreed to fund it have performed no independent social or environmental impact reviews. 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). The drying up of this in Central Asia has been called the worlds worst environmental catastrophe. Following the fall of Mengistu Haile-Mariams regime in Ethiopia in 1991, Ethiopia experienced a remarkable rise in the construction of dams and hydroelectric power stations. Terms in this set (10) how long and high is the dam?
(PDF) Benefit of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project (GERDP) for 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. Another important area of cooperation is research, especially in areas like climate change, the fight against terrorism and extremism, and human rights. Construction on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam began in 2011 and it is currently nearing completion. One question that keeps coming up is: Will Ethiopia be willing to release enough water from the reservoir to help mitigate a drought downstream? (eds.). As they consider this controversial issue, all 11 riparian countries should seek to improve relations among themselves beyond their relationship with the Nile, especially in mutually beneficial areas such as trade; educational and cultural exchanges; the management of natural resources, including water; dealing with threats to peace and security, including the suppression and prevention of terrorism and extremism; and confronting major challenges to economic growth and poverty alleviation, such as climate change, widespread illiteracy, and poor infrastructure. In March 2015, a 'Declaration of Principles' was signed by the leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, setting the foundations for an initial cooperation (Salman, 2017). The dispute escalated in 2011 when Ethiopia began construction of a major new dam, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), in the absence of any agreement with downstream Egypt. 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. On March 4, 1909, the Copyright Act of 1909 became law, making infringement of a copyright a federal crime for the first time. It also created a counter message to Egypts powerful the Nile is Egypt narrative that is familiar around the world. Ethiopias dam-construction strategy threatens not only Kenyas water-resource development efforts but also Somalias water security, as is evidenced by Ethiopias development plans for the Jubba and Shebelle Rivers. The latter, in Article 2(4), allocated acquired rights of 66% of Nile water to Egypt and 22% to Sudan (with the remaining 12% attributed to leakage). This antipathy is not new, with Munzinger noting even in the nineteenth century that Ethiopia is a danger for Egypt [which] must either take over Ethiopia and Islamize it or, retain it in anarchy and misery. Still, the Dam brings the old enmity into sharp focus. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is estimated to cost close to 5 billion US dollars, about 7% of the 2016 Ethiopian gross national product. 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. l It is in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, about 15 km east of the border with Sudan. On the surface, the 558 ft tall dam Africa's biggest hydropower project belies Ethiopia's financial muscle. His successor, Mohamed Morsi, said that Egypt was prepared to defend each drop of Nile water with blood. An armed conflict has not emerged, but there are suggestions that Egyptian intelligence services undermined Ethiopia internally by assisting the Oromo Liberation Front in its campaign of civil unrest in Ethiopia in 2016. Sudan is caught between the competing interests of Egypt and Ethiopia. Both countries are concerned that without a clear and binding agreement with Ethiopia, the latter will have full control of the passage of water from the GERD during droughts, which would be devastating to the lives of millions in Egypt and Sudan. Although Khartoum initially opposed the construction of the GERD, it has since warmed up to it, citing its potential to improve prospects for domestic development. Ethiopia has the basins most suitable locations for hydropower production, and its damming of the Blue Nile would significantly increase Sudan's potential for irrigated agriculture. the study highlights the importance of weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of counter-hegemonic tactics in general, and of large dam projects in particular, and . Search for jobs related to Disadvantages of the grand ethiopian renaissance dam or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. As a consequence, Ethiopia has not been able to make significant use of the rivers waters. The Tendaho, Tekeze, and the Gibe series are only a few examples from that period. In July of 2021, the second filling of the dam was completed. More alarmingly, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak allegedly even considered bombing the Dam.
Cairo . In: Yihdego, Z. et al. The filling regime and operational methods of GERD will affect Egypt, in particular through its impact on the operation of its Aswan High Dam (AHD) which aims at mitigating the high variability of the Nile River flow. Further, it means that this figure should be used to assess the impact of the Dam on the Egyptian economy for the purposes of calculating compensation resulting from loss of flow. 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. 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. First came the 1999 Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA). Kandeel, A. The change of government in Egypt led to a more conciliatory approach (Von Lossow & Roll, 2015). Von Lossow, T. & Roll, S. (2015). However, an agreement was still far from reach. Second, the upstream riparian states must recognize and accept Egypts near total dependence on the waters of the Nile River. It provides clear benefits to all three riparian, such as flood control, reduced flood damages and sediment control. Helping Egypts cause, during the preparation of the VCSS, the International Law Commission stated that treaties concerning water rights or navigation on rivers are commonly regarded as candidates for inclusion in the category of territorial treaties. However, it must be noted that this would represent a generous interpretation of the territorial treaty exception. 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 Ethiopian government is spending $4.7 billion to construct the 1,780-meter dam across the Blue Nile. 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. Note that, under Article 62(2) VCLT, territorial treaties are excepted from the change in circumstances rule.
What is your opinion on Ethiopia's chances of completing the "Great Since 2015, technical reports on the potential impacts of the dam have failed to reach a consensus within the TNC (Maguid, 2017). This is an intergovernmental partnership to provide a forum for consultation and coordination for the sustainable management and development of shared water. What are the disadvantages of the Aswan Dam? As noted above, the instrument concedes for the first time that Ethiopia has legitimate interests over the Nile. (2017). Turning then to Ethiopia. The withdrawal from the project by Deltares has been met by a wave of objections in Egypt for fear . Given agricultures importance to pro-poor economic growth, Egypt, which has significant experience and expertise in irrigation agriculture, can share some of that expertise with other countries in exchange for increased trade with them. Attia, H. & Saleh, M. (2021). Addis Ababa launched the construction of the GERD under Zenawi, and work on it has proceeded at full steam ahead ever since. In general, the Ethiopian development philosophy rests on two pillars: mega-dams and mega-agricultural projects. Ethiopia is pinning its hopes of economic development and power generation on the dam. Today, however, Ethiopia is building the Grand Renaissance Dam and, with it, Ethiopia will physically control the Blue Nile Gorgethe primary source of most of the Nile waters. Some have mythified it and claim it is the Gihon River of the Biblical Book of Genesis that encircles the entire land of Cush, thereby adding a religious dimension to the politicisation. 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. Tawfik, Rawia Discussion Paper 5/2015 . For nearly a century, as a legacy of colonialism, Egypt enjoyed what Tekuya referred to as a hydro-hegemony over the Nile; despite Ethiopia contributing 86% to its waters. The Tripartite National Council (TNC) was then established, consisting of members from each of the three countries with the aim of carrying through the IPoE's recommendations (Attia & Saleh, 2021). Egypt had asked the UNSC 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. Egypts repeated references to the rules of international law is part of an effort to maintain its so-called natural and historical rights that were established and reaffirmed by the 1929 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty and 1959 Agreement between Egypt and Sudan, respectivelytreaties many of the other involved parties reject as anachronistic and untenable. "Today as you see behind me . It will be the largest hydropower project in Africa. It could be a treaty or merely a political declaration as the name implies. . It imports about half its food products and recycles about 25 bcm of water annually. However, Sudans future water requirements will likely exceed its water quota as defined in the 1959 Agreement. In contrast, if water from the Dam were to be used for irrigation purposes by Ethiopia (i.e. 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. The Eastern Nile Basin comprises Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. In an effort to forestall potential water conflicts such as the one brewing around the Dam, an increasing number of bilateral and multilateral water agreements have been concluded in recent decades.
(DOC) Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Academia.edu These are two of the largest dams in Africa. Addis Ababa has said the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a $4bn hydropower project, is crucial to its economic development and to provide power. However, by far the largest of these projects is the GERD, which was announced in 2010 and work on which was launched in 2011 by means of a nationwide fundraiser in which Ethiopian civil servants were reportedly obliged to volunteer a months salary to invest in GERD bonds. Egypt, fearing major disruptions to its access to the Niles waters, originally intended to prevent even the start of the GERDs construction. On 5 July 2021, Ethiopia informed Egypt and Sudan that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia is undergoing its second filling. As a hydroelectric project, the dam is expected to generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity. Negotiations resumed three weeks after Al-Sisi took office in June 2014, and an agreement was made to resume negotiations - an achievementhailed by both Egypt and Ethiopia as a new chapter in relations between Egypt and Ethiopia based on openness and mutual understanding and cooperation (Omar, 2014).
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is a Big Deal - BORGEN Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam. Ethiopia, one of the poorest countries in Africa, has the second largest population in the continent. Lastly, over-year storage facilities upstream in Ethiopia will allow Sudan to increase its water use. A Tripartite National Committee (TNC), consisting of national experts from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, was constituted in order to determine principles of cooperation. But the project has caused concern. The multi-services provided by the hydropower development and its technical advantages could be driving forces for local, regional and national development, and a catalyst for sustainable development.
Match facts: Egypts Ahly v South Africas Mamelodi Sundowns (CAF Champions.. Kevin Harts first Egypt show cancelled 'due to local logistical issues', Match facts: Sudans Al-Hilal v Egypts Ahly (CAF Champions League), Match facts: Egypts Ahly v Cameroons Coton Sport (CAF Champions League), Egyptian Premier League results & scorers (20th matchday), Spain La Liga results & scorers (21st matchday), 13 Egyptian women on Forbes Middle East 100 Most Powerful businesswomen 2023, Egyptian Premier League results & fixtures (18th matchday), English Premier League results & scorers (23rd matchday), Prioritising the best solutions for sustainable development, A new beginning for education and beyond, Prioritizing the UN's Global Development Agenda, US-Africa Leaders Summit: Between expectations and realities. to hydrate farmland), it would effectively be taken from downstream states like Egypt. 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. Hence, the customary law argument might be too ambitious. The establishment of the Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, up 145 and a storage capacity of 74 .
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - ArcGIS StoryMaps Afraid that a drought might appear during the filling period, Egypt wants the filling to take place over a much longer period. Monday January 2, 2017.
Ethiopia's dam dispute: five key reads about how it started and how it Construction of the 6,000-megawatt, US $5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) began . The three fillings hitherto, with the most recent in August 2022, imposed no discernible harm on downstream states. Why the Nile could see a 'water war'.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: Source of cooperation or - USGS Filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) along the Blue Nile River is well under way near the Ethiopia-Sudan border. EDUARDO SOTERAS/AFP via Getty Images. Neither the Egyptian nor the Ethiopian governments received positive domestic feedback on their agreement. The GDP per capita in Ethiopia is only $475. The dam was named the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) because it was designed to bring about the economic and renewal of Ethiopia, a nation mentioned in Genesis 2:13 as the Land in which . An optimistic trend among todays African commentators focuses primarily on economic growth rates and pays little attention to human tolls, questions of transparency and accountability, and the sustainability of growth. Ultimately, however, Egypt did not sign the CFA (nor did Sudan) hence it does not resolve the dispute. Cameroon's Choupo-Moting scores winner as Bayern reclaim Bundesliga top.. English Premier League results & fixtures (26th matchday), Germany Bundesliga results & fixtures (23rd matchday), Israeli delegation expelled from the African Union summit. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 56(4), 687-702. Similarly, in 2018, the UNSC noted the water security risks in African nations such as Somalia, Sudan and Mali. Disadvantages Slow process Could be washed to the wrong direction Start up costs Lesson 4: Long term investment, It can't cope with he propagation rate of water hyacinth. Ethiopia argues that developing this resource is crucial to its economic development, and to overcoming poverty and famine, that have plagued the country in the past. Omar, A. Perhaps even more consequential is the fact that this agreement granted Egypt veto power over future Nile River projects. The situation seemed to improve in the beginning of 2015 when tripartite negotiations were held in order to determine principles of cooperation. when did construction of the dam begin? 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. However, this threatens the basin's long-term sustainability (as water use expands beyond what is environmentally feasible) and suboptimal in terms of capital allocation (as higher water use upstream may make downstream projects uneconomical (Swain, 2011). Improved relations among Egyptians, Ethiopians, and Sudanese can go a long way in enhancing the ability of their leaders to negotiate and adopt agreements that reflect the interests of citizens, especially regarding economic development and poverty alleviation. On Feb. 26, Ethiopia temporarily suspended its . Despite the fact that newly independent Sudan in the late 1950s was literally forced by a dominant Egypt into a highly asymmetrical water-sharing arrangement, Sudan has rarely challenged this arrangement. l located on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia . Even without taking the dam into account, the largely desert country is short of water. Stratfor Worldview. His research indicates that rapid filling of the reservoir could lead to severe economic losses, though he notes that expanding groundwater extraction, adjusting the operation of Egypt's Aswan High Dam, and cultivating crops that require less water could help offset some of the impact. Although Ethiopia has argued that the hydroelectric GERD will not significantly affect the flow of water into the Nile, Egypt, which depends almost entirely on the Nile waters for household and commercial uses, sees the dam as a major threat to its water security. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Maguid, M.A.
Impacts of Grand Renaissance Dam on Economic Development in Ethiopia According to present plans, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) now under construction across the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia will be the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa, and one of the 12 largest in the world. All three countries have a vested interest in a properly operated dam. 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. The above-mentioned Gilgel Gibe III Dam stood out as the worlds most controversial dam until the GERD. Ethiopia, however, prefers to have the flexibility to make decisions on how to deal with droughts. The Kenyan Lake is heavily dependent on the fresh water and vital nutrients supplied by the rivers annual floods, making it a paradise for fisheries. 17th round of GERD tripartite talks hits wall in Cairo. These two factors could become serious problems. 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. Crucially, however, neither Egypt nor Ethiopia are parties to the Watercourses Convention and so they are not bound by its terms. Challenges for water sharing in the Nile basin: changing geo-politics and changing climate. 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. The former was initially funded by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, but these later withdrew for legal and other reasons. Hence, it is hard to see how Egypt could make a compelling argument that it has been harmed by the Dam. casting the DoP as a treaty) has the potential to abrogate the Nile Waters Treaties that Egypt holds so dear. Ultimately, all the water is allowed to pass downstream such that there is no net loss of flow (with the exception of water lost to evaporation). (2012). - Ethiopia's massive.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Gets Set to Open - Hiiraan Online Workers move iron girders from a crane at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), near Guba, Ethiopia, on Dec. 26, 2019. The various warnings by experts about the dangers of the new Ethiopian dam have begun to cause panic among Egyptians, to the point of belief that the Aswan Dam will collapse once the Renaissance is completed. If Egyptian authorities refuse to abandon these anachronistic treatieswhich have created untenable water-use rights that benefit only itself and Sudanall parties will remain at an impasse.