On 20/02/2022, the Ethiopian Prime Minister inaugurated the dam when the reservoir contained 18 billion cubic meters. At the end of the procedure, the reservoir will contain 70 billion cubic meters
Dr. Assaf Rosenthal
I have previously referred to the Nile Basin in the context of building the Ethiopian Dam on the Blue Nile. Now, when the operation of the dam began despite the Egyptian and Sudanese protests, it is worth revisiting the course of events that led to the current situation.
Two arms of the Nile: the White Nile which originates in Lake Victoria which is common to Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, and the Blue Nile which originates in Lake Tana in the Ethiopian plateaus. It is estimated from 1929 that the capacity of the two arms together is about 85 billion cubic meters per year with about 85% supplied by the Blue Nile and 15% by the White Nile. Even today the Nile is the almost sole water source of Egypt hence its importance and vitality to Egypt.The importance of the Nile was clear to the British who ruled Egypt and the Suez Canal and therefore there was government support for the search for its sources.
To protect Egypt and the Suez Canal, the British dictated a “treaty” that gave Egypt an advantage in controlling and using river water.
Despite attempts by countries upstream to change the “contract” to this day, Egypt and Sudan continue to demand this advantage.
That is, according to the renewed “contract”, 84% of the total Nile flow was allocated to Egypt and Sudan. When 10% were calculated as evaporation and seepage, the countries upstream of the river were allowed to use about 6% of the total river flow.
The “contract” gave Egypt and Sudan a veto over any construction or development project on the Nile or in its arms.
To change and undo the dictates of the British, the Nile Basin countries including Sudan and Egypt began discussions and the development of an outline that would allow fair use of the river water,
But Egypt and Sudan have refused to sign the agreement, saying it does not “recognize their historical right.”
In order to circumvent the disagreements between Sudan and Egypt, the “Organization of the Nile Basin” was established in 1999, which enabled the opening of the historic “contract” and discussions on the redistribution of river water.
The establishment of the organization gave Ethiopia itself permission to build the dam on the Blue Nile, despite opposition from Egypt and Sudan. According to the Ethiopian Dam, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam built on the Blue Nile about 40 km from the Sudanese border will also give Sudan and Egypt an advantage by mitigating seasonal changes and the possibility of increasing the flow in dry seasons, which will increase electricity production in the Aswan Dam in Egypt . In addition, Sudan will be able to purchase some of the electricity generated by the dam.
The main concern of Egypt and Sudan is that while filling the huge reservoir created at the back of the dam the flow will decrease and therefore demanded that the filling continue over a long period of time decided before the filling starts.
Until last year, discussions continued that according to Egypt had failed because of Ethiopia, but many blame the “contract” from the British period under which Egypt and Sudan had historical rights.
As negotiations failed, Ethiopia began filling the dam in 2020, and it turns out that the fill did not impede flow downstream, perhaps because of seasons when rainfall amounts were much higher than average.
On 20/02/2022, the Ethiopian Prime Minister inaugurated the dam when the reservoir contained 18 billion cubic meters. At the end of the procedure, the reservoir will contain 70 billion cubic meters. The main purpose of the dam is to generate electricity. Today, Ethiopia’s main source of electricity comes from burning biomass, and the electricity from the dam will replace all contemporary production, allow supply to remote areas and also provide electricity for sale to neighbors. Electricity supplied to industry and agricultural farms will enable high production capacity and improve the standard of living of millions, clean electricity will reduce the damage to the environment in general and forests in particular.
It is important to note that unlike many other dams this dam does not cause environmental damage and since it is now an existing fact it deserves to be utilized in the best way that will benefit Ethiopia and its neighbors.
Since we have relations and ties with the three countries it is to be hoped that now that the dam is built and generates electricity without damaging the flow down the river, the opposition from Sudan and Egypt will disappear and relations will improve.
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