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Water Watch: Sharing the Nile River | Dr Roseanne Chambers

3 days ago 19

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In the arid climate of North Africa, the archaeological wonders of ancient Egypt would not exist without the Nile River. The rich history of ancient Egyptian culture and its accomplishments that we admire today—from enormous pyramids to exquisite gold and gem-filled jewelry—are based on the life-giving waters of the Nile. Modern Egyptian society continues to rely heavily on this water. From a historical and cultural perspective, as well as from a political and economic point of view, many Egyptians consider the Nile River their exclusive property. With a rapidly growing population, the water needs of Egypt are continuously increasing.

Recently, other countries within the Nile River Basin have begun to demand a share of the river water, so the situation is similar to the conflicts over water allocations described in my post Water Watch: Sharing the Jordan and Colorado Rivers.

Today, around 300 million people in eleven countries are in the Nile River Basin: Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Many of those countries have not been taking advantage of opportunities offered by the river. Now, growing populations and attempts to accelerate economic development in Ethiopia, Sudan, and surrounding countries are requiring the harnessing of additional water resources. To provide benefits to more of the population in the basin, pressure is growing to change the management of Nile River water.

Climate change is also affecting the Nile River Basin. The average temperature in Egypt is increasing at an accelerated rate, and climate projections show it will experience a higher level of warming than the world average by 2100 (IEA, 2023). A significant increase in electricity demand will result from more frequent extreme heat events, combined with urbanization and population growth. Also, most climate models show that increased temperatures lead to a higher level of variability in precipitation, with a consequence of more frequent droughts and damaging floods.

The Nile River (Wikipedia, 2018)

The Life-Giving Nile River

The south to north flowing Nile River, extending roughly 4,130 mi (6,650 km), is among the longest rivers in the world. There are two major tributaries: the Blue Nile, that begins in Ethiopia and contributes about 70% of the water, and the White Nile. The majority of the Nile River water that flows into Egypt originates from rainfall in the Ethiopian Highlands feeding the Blue Nile. Egyptian lands are largely within the Sahara and Libyan deserts, and they contribute minimally to the water supply of the river.

Water needs throughout the Nile River Basin are increasing. Population growth and economic development in Sudan, Ethiopia, and other countries are resulting in leaders asking for a redistribution of Nile water. Egypt’s dominance in using the Nile River is a consequence of many factors, including the agriculturally dependent economy, treaties dating back over a century that were negotiated by Great Britain and other colonial powers to favor Egypt, and construction of the Aswan High Dam, completed in 1970.

NASA satellite image of the Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser (Wikimedia, 2001)

Looking toward the future, Ethiopia developed infrastructure plans for a major hydroelectric project, which the country views as vital for development and energy generation (currently, nearly half the population lacks access to electricity). Now, construction is complete and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is operating. A paradigm shift in the management of Nile River water is underway.

Controlling the Flow of Water

Construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam took place between 2011 and 2023 on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia. This project contains the largest hydropower plant in Africa, and the dam is among the largest in the world, with a main dam 5,840 ft (1,780 km) long and 476 ft (145 m) high. Electricity production for Ethiopia is the primary purpose of the project, and it will more than double electricity generation for the country, with any excess power to be exported to neighboring countries. Operators completed the filling of the reservoir in October 2024, and plan the official inauguration ceremony for the dam in September 2025. The cost of the construction is estimated to be close to 5 billion US dollars, funded internally by Ethiopia, except for about 1 billion US dollars for turbines and electrical equipment funded by a Chinese bank.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in August 2024 (Wikipedia)

From the time that Ethiopia first announced plans for the dam, Egypt has opposed the construction. Concerns about water-sharing are foremost, particularly when prolonged droughts may occur, since Egypt relies on the Nile River for about 90% of the countries’ water supply. To resolve concerns, there have been several attempts during the past decade to adopt cooperative agreements among the nations within the Nile River Basin, but so far, those negotiations have been unsuccessful.

Egyptian leaders have stated that the filling and operation of the dam in the absence of a legally binding agreement is an “existential threat”. In August 2025, Egypt and Sudan described Ethiopia’s unilateral actions on the Blue Nile as inconsistent with international law.

A Precious Resource

Water is the most abundant resource on Earth, but only about 2.5% is freshwater—and much of this is locked up in ice or groundwater. Water scarcity is becoming one of the most pressing challenges of the 21^st century, in part because climate change is profoundly altering global weather patterns. North Africa and the Middle East are particularly vulnerable to these changes, as an increase in extreme droughts and rising temperatures exacerbate water stress. Water scarcity undermines human security if harvest failures, high food prices, or poor water quality and inadequate sanitation damage livelihoods.

With the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Ethiopia has become a regional power in the Nile River Basin. Now, basin-wide collaboration from Egypt, Sudan, and other affected countries is needed—and the political, economic, and climatic challenges are substantial. Cooperation is difficult—but ultimately will be essential.

“Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel Prizes–one for peace and one for science.”

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) National Water Commission Hearings (1966).

NOTE: my interest in Egypt and the Nile River was heightened in 1985 when I spent 4 months searching for active faults in the area surrounding the Aswan High Dam – a brief description of that work is in my post Earthquakes, Copper and Helicopters . Other posts related to this one include Mountains of the Moon in Africa, with a description of the sources of the White Nile, and Ancient Boats and Enormous Blocks, describing the important role of the Nile River in pyramid construction.

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