The Eastern Nile Basin comprises Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. From this round of talks, it appears that negotiations are able to move forward and address other sticking points on the agenda, such as conflict resolution mechanisms and the dams operations in the event of multi-year droughts (Al Jazeera, 2020). Impacts of Grand Renaissance Dam on Economic Development in Ethiopia Second, the upstream riparian states must recognize and accept Egypts near total dependence on the waters of the Nile River. It seeks to build an infrastructure for regional water hegemony, positioning it, at the very least, in such a way that it can exchange water for oil. 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. Egypts original goal was to have the project purely and simply cancelled. Also, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry later held the Egyptian side accountable for failure of these negotiations. A general view of the Blue Nile river as it passes through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), near Guba in Ethiopia, on December 26, 2019. It was in the hope of protecting Lake Turkana against such threats that it was listed as a World Heritage Site. Sudan and Egypt, which rely most heavily on the . Article 7 provides that watercourse states must take all appropriate measures to prevent significant harm to other watercourse States and that, where harm does occur, there shall be consultations to discuss the question of compensation. Finally, Article 8 requires that watercourse states cooperate on the basis of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, mutual benefit and good faith.. At stake, too, is . In terms of the current status of talks, in 2019, US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin began facilitating negotiations between Egypt and Ethiopia which led to some tentative progress. Another argument Egypt might adduce concerns the DoP. The Gerd is expected to generate over 5,000 megawatts of electricity, doubling the nation's . Egypt accuses. As stipulated by an Agreement of 1959 (see:Nile Main Conflict), Egypt and Sudan presented for several decades a common position vis--vis other riparians regarding the utilisation and management of Nile waters. "Today as you see behind me . Recently, the tensions among Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile have escalated, particularly after Ethiopia announced that it had started filling the GERDs reservoir, an action contrary to Egypts mandate that the dam not be filled without a legally binding agreement over the equitable allocation of the Niles waters. 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. Factbox: Key facts about Ethiopia's giant Nile dam | Reuters Even without taking the dam into account, the largely desert country is short of water. It concludes that Ethiopias legal position is far stronger and that a negotiated agreement in its favour is the most likely outcome of the dispute. disadvantages of the grand ethiopian renaissance dam The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a 6,450 MW hydropower project nearing completion on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, located about 30 km upstream of the border with Sudan. Afraid that a drought might appear during the filling period, Egypt wants the filling to take place over a much longer period. These parallel developments appear to be elements of a bigger hydro-political strategy wherein the riparian countries aim to increase their water utilisation to put facts on the ground (and underpin legal claims based on those uses) and increase their bargaining position for renegotiations of volumetric water allocations. The final touches to these plans were added in 2005 and 2007, and one involves nine hydroelectric dams along the Gebale Dawa to produce some 1,300 MW of electricity for export. 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. An unsubscribe function is also at the bottom of every newsletter. 497 Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images According to Baradei, hydropower dams create immense turbulence in the water, where chemical reactions such as dissolved oxygen can destroy fauna and flora. Although the case has been dropped, the organisations work focused international attention on the dams potential detrimental impacts on the lakes habitat. Trilateral talks mediated by the United States and World Bank from November 2019 to February 2020 collapsed as Ethiopia rejected a binding agreement with Egypt and Sudan on the filling and operation of the GERD, which led to both downstream countries requesting intervention from the UN Security Council (UNSC) in May 2020 (Kandeel, 2020). Crucially, however, despite being signed by Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, the legal status of the DoP was left (deliberately) vague. 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. As mentioned above, Ethiopias dam-construction strategy is intimately linked with large-scale foreign investment in the agrarian sector and specifically in areas near the artificial reservoirs created by the dams. Security implications of growing water scarcity in Egypt. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. Egypt says. An argument could be made that some of its provisions have passed into customary international law, however, that would require clear general practice and opinio juris. Since its inception, there have been two, highly contentious, products. Ethiopia rejects Arab League resolution on Renaissance Dam The treaties also purported to give Egypt veto power over upstream projects. 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. It has also expressed concerns about the potential impact the initial filling of the dam will have on areas downstream. 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. Construction on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam began in 2011 and it is currently nearing completion. In terms of putative new law, namely the Watercourses Convention and the DoP, the key principles of equitable utilisation and no significant harm seem to leave ample room to accommodate the construction of a dam for hydroelectric generation purposes. Initially opposed to the GERD, Sudan later expressed support for its construction in 2013, claiming that it would serve the interests of all three nations (Maguid, 2017). 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. Typically, treaties contain provisions on the identification and function of the depositary, entry into force, adoption and so on (Article 24(4) Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT)). Neither the Egyptian nor the Ethiopian governments received positive domestic feedback on their agreement. Why the Nile could see a 'water war'. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a powerful generation linchpin Ethiopia has never 'consumed' significant shares of the Niles 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. L'Europe en Formation, 365(3), 99-138. The grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam (eg) - SlideShare 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 Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) - ArcGIS StoryMaps Egypt has also escalated its call to the international community to get involved. In: Yihdego, Z. et al. 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). 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. On March 4, 1834, the town of York in the British colony of Canada was incorporated as the City of Toronto. 67K views 6 months ago ETIOPIA The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, on the Blue Nile, is located around 14 km upstream of the Ethiopian-Sudan Border, at around 700 km from the Capital. China at the heart of rising Nile River conflict - Asia Times 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 (. The Chinese donors who have agreed to fund it have performed no independent social or environmental impact reviews. 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. 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. Similarly, both the final agreement between the riparian states for the allocation of the water and resources of the Nile should include a dispute resolution mechanism. Nevertheless, Khartoum continues to fear that the operation of the GERD could threaten the safety of Sudans own dams and make it much more difficult for the government to manage its own development projects. Ethiopia, however, prefers to have the flexibility to make decisions on how to deal with droughts. Zegabi East Africa News (2015). The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is the new - The Conversation The Chinese then took over the funding amidst heightened international concern regarding the social, technical, and environmental repercussions of the Ethiopian dams. (eds.). per year, that would constitute a drought and, according to Egypt and Sudan, Ethiopia would have to release some of the water in the dams reservoir to deal with the drought. Ethiopia starts generating power from River Nile dam - BBC News First woman appointed to the Canada Supreme Court. 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. If it is allowed to reach dangerous levels, water scarcity has the potential to trigger conflicts. The situation seemed to improve in the beginning of 2015 when tripartite negotiations were held in order to determine principles of cooperation. (2017). I agree with the delivery of the newsletter. The above-mentioned Gilgel Gibe III Dam stood out as the worlds most controversial dam until the GERD. Ethiopia: The Untold Story of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam The announcement on Friday comes a day after Ethiopia said it had launched power production from the second turbine at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). 74 cubic metres. Already, the United States has threatened to withhold development aid to Ethiopia if the conflict is not resolved and an agreement reached. Why is the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam contentious? (2014). Ethiopia, with a population of more than 115 million people and Projected to be 230 million by 2050. These run from rising rivalry between Egypt and Ethiopia to a festering border war between Ethiopia and neighboring Sudan. 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. 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. 2011. how much does the reservoir contain? Who Is Financing Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam? It could be a treaty or merely a political declaration as the name implies. A Grand New Dam on the Nile - NASA Created by. The significance of Gulf involvement was highlighted by the . The first filling of the dam in July 2020 went uneventfully. Terms in this set (10) how long and high is the dam? There has long been a conflict over water rights among the riparian countries of the Eastern Nile Basin (Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia). Von Lossow, T. & Roll, S. (2015). 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. Negative impacts of the GERD - Opinion - Ahram Online Salman, S.M.A. In general, the Ethiopian development philosophy rests on two pillars: mega-dams and mega-agricultural projects. Ethiopia, whose highlands supply more than 85 percent of the water that flows into the Nile River, has long argued that it has the right to utilize its natural resources to address widespread poverty and improve the living standards of its people. The Dam is being built by Ethiopia on the Nile River and is fiercely opposed by Egypt. It states in Principle III that the parties shall take all appropriate measures to prevent the causing of significant harm. In 1964, the US Land Reclamation Bureau conducted a study for the Ethiopian government, identifying 33 hydraulic projects in the Blue Nile Basin. Note that, under Article 62(2) VCLT, territorial treaties are excepted from the change in circumstances rule. The Nile riparians must understand that the river is a common resource whose effective management must be approached from a basin-wide perspective. Water scarcity is a growing problem. 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. Match. Perhaps the most obvious argument that Ethiopia may want to make is a rebuttal to Egypts continued reliance on the Nile Water Treaties. 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. 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. 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. Egypt has issued a public statement to that effect. . But with a generation capacity of 6.45GW, the Ethiopian government quoted the project as vital to the country's economic growth. 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). In March 2015, a 'Declaration of Principles' was signed by the leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, setting the foundations for an initial cooperation. 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). Even then, the initial studies did not extend beyond the borders with Kenya. It too has legal arguments it could adduce in support of its position that the Dam is permitted under international law. No water at all was allocated to Ethiopia. Egypts Nile Water Policy under Sisi: Security Interests Promote Rapprochement with Ethiopia. Flashcards. l It is in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, about 15 km east of the border with Sudan. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the Ethiopian Challenge of Maguid, M.A. Perhaps the most significant project in the 2003 plan was the Chemoga-Yeda Hydroelectric Project, a series of five small dams on Blue Nile tributaries and two dams on the Genale River with a couple more envisioned for a later phase. Egypt and Ethiopia have once again locked horns over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Gets Set to Open - Hiiraan Online 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. UN ready to promote 'win-win solution' for Blue Nile dam project Disadvantages of the grand ethiopian renaissance dam jobs A Grand New Dam on the Nile: The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Egypt, which lies 1,600 miles downstream of the Dam, believes its operation will reduce the amount of fresh water available to it from the Nile. "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. Since plans for Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) were first announced in 2011, Cairo has viewed the project as a serious threat to the country's water supply. What are the disadvantages of the Aswan Dam? 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). Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam: Ending Africa's Oldest Geopolitical Rivalry? Success on this endeavor will only occur under a legally binding regime that ensures mutually beneficial rights. Egypt relies on the river for as much as 90 percent of its freshwater and sees the new dam as an existential . Download PDF 1.40 MB. A major reason the GERD is so controversial today is that it has not been subjected to thorough safety and impact studies, which could pose a grave threat to downriver nations. Ethiopia says second filling of Renaissance Dam complete The researchers looked at the dynamic interactions between the Nile's hydrology and infrastructure and Egypt's economy. PDF Negative Impact of Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Population on - AJER 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). 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. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Given the importance of water to Ethiopian agriculture, it resulted in the tragic irony that, as Thurow put it, the land than feeds the Nile is unable to feed itself. The status quo started to change when Ethiopia began construction of the Dam, just east of its border with Sudan, in 2011. The Watercourses Convention aims to regulate the uses, as well as the conservation, of all transboundary waters above and below the surface. 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. Attempts to resolve the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dispute over the past decade have reached a deadlock. According to this narrative, the Blue Nile, or Abay in Amharic, is a purely Ethiopian river. 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. Owned and operated by the Ethiopian Electric Power company, the 145-m-tall roller-compacted concrete gravity dam . 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. While the water will return to its normal state before reaching Egypt, the damage to these populations will be permanent. 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. Feb 11th 2021 DAMS HAVE several uses. 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 crucial leverage regarding Egypts water security lies with the Blue Nile countries Ethiopia and Sudan, as the Blue Nile is the main contributor to the Nile Rivers flow downstream. Impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on Downstream Countries Most recently, there have been suggestions that the African Union should resolve the disagreement. As a result, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has recognised water security as a possible threat to international peace. 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. 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. Attia, H. & Saleh, M. (2021). In any event, the dispute remains. Benefits from the Nile's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Rural 21 The Nile is not a boundary-delimiting river, hence Ethiopia would almost certainly argue that the exception should not be applied here. However, another trend stresses the need to approach the question from a broader and more holistic perspective. July 26, 2022. Nile Basins GERD dispute creates risks for Egypt, Sudan, and beyond. 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. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will have negative impacts not only on Egypt but also on poor communities in Ethiopia as well as on its Nile Basin neighbours Ethiopia's strategy for dam construction goes far beyond developmental goals. In particular, the DoP takes a very strict approach to the no significant harm rule. It merely provides at Article III that Ethiopia undertakes not to construct any work across the Blue Nile, Lake Tsana, or the Sobat which would arrest the flow of their waters into the Nile. In other words, Ethiopia only agreed that it would not completely stop the flow of tributaries into the Nile.