Fight for the Nile
Despite the uncertainty of the Nile’s source, the countries it winds through know that it is their source of life. They depend on it for their crops, their water and their animals’ survival. Upstream countries are trying to break the monopoly that Egypt has on the Nile River, created by a British treaty in 1929, which reserved 80% of the river’s capacity for Egypt and the Sudan (Cambanis, 2010). Egypt argues that it has a growing population and that this threat could lead to war, as the Nile barely meets its needs, and that the other countries – Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda – have plenty of water resources from other rivers, such as the Tigris and Euphrates, while Egypt has only the Nile (Cambanis, 2010). Cambanis (2010) reports That as of April negotiations over the Nile have broken down and the upstream counties have banded together in an effort to gain the capacity to build dams and irrigation projects of their own, that would reduce the flow into Egypt and the Sudan.
Egypt and the Sudan are fighting back by building still more dams. As if the loss of water to the upstream countries is not bad enough, the Sudan’s Merowe Dam was projected to cause flooding that would displace over 50,000 people, and be detrimental to the rich cultural heritage that will be destroyed, but that price seemed paltry to Sudanese who are eager to have the dam that will allow them to increase their electrical volume (Lawler, 2006). Indeed, this is exactly what happened when the Merowe Dam was completed. Over 50,000 people displaced, some protestors were killed, cultural heritage lost, but Sudan doubled its electrical capacity (The battle of the Nile, 2010).
Robert Morley (2012) reported in an article in an October edition of The Trumpet on an explosive announcement by Ethiopia in March 2011. Ethiopia had revealed that it would be construction a massive dam on the Nile. Since 85% of the Nile’s water is generated in Ethiopia, this announcement was highly threatening to Egypt (Morley, 2012). This dam, if built, will drastically reduce the amount of water for Egypt and the Sudan, threatening the lives of their people and the economy
As alluded to earlier, the Nile is essential to the life of Egypt and its people. It provides the water for agriculture, and allows Egyptians to enjoy a high standard of living. By building their dam, Ethiopia would shut down the Nile and have the power to destroy Egypt. According to Morley (2012), Ethiopia is challenging Egypt’s monopoly of the Nile, claiming that the did not sign the 1959 treaty giving Sudan and Egypt almost exclusive rights to use of the Nile, and therefore are not bound to abide by it. They believe their dam is necessary to providing the water and electricity so essential to their lives and those of their neighbors.
Many of the countries of the Nile have formed an alliance, The Nile Basin Initiative. The article The battle of the Nile (2010) informs readers that the Nile Basin Initiative was launched in 1999 by the Nile’s upstream countries, with the goals:
The Nile Basin Initiative hopes to get a new treaty signed soon to give them more power in their struggle for the river’s resources. This has Egypt in arms because they consider that 95% of their water comes from the Nile, while the Nile Basin countries can find water in other places (The battle of the Nile, 2010). But other countries say they are being exploited and undernourished by Egypt and the Sudan’s unfair use of the Nile – the World Bank seems to agree, at least that 46% of Ethiopians are undernourished.
Other than their need for the Nile to nourish their crops, animals, and lives, there is another issue, energy (The battle of the Nile, 2010). Energy shortages anger Americans when their air conditioners won’t work, or they lose power during a major sports event. However, unlike the countries of the Nile Basin Initiative, American economic growth is not presently impacted by energy shortages, even though people grumble as the price of energy goes up. In Ethiopia, it is estimated that they need 20% more energy annually, therefore they are moving to transform themselves into a hydroelectric titan (The battle of the Nile, 2010). These countries believe they simply have to have more access to the water power of the Nile, that they too, and not just Egypt depend on the Nile for their very lives. Despite their demands, it does not appear that they will be able to reach a realistic agreement with Egypt and the Sudan anytime in the foreseeable future (The battle of the Nile, 2010).
Unfortunately it seems that occupants of Western countries are not too concerned about what is happening as regards the Nile and the inhabitants of the countries it moves through. Western countries seem to be concerned about the costs to them if Egypt, an ally country loses control of the water and may not be able to supply some of the needs of their countries. Otherwise, for many Westerners, it seems that “it is only Africa” and without a Nelson Mandela to decry the inequality and the human costs of the countries who are deprived of their fair share of access to the gifts of the Nile, including water and dams to protect them from flooding, the rest of the world will not be bothered to pay too much attention, and the fight will be between the economically weak countries who make up the Nile Basin Initiative and the powers of Sudan and Egypt.
Egypt and the Sudan are fighting back by building still more dams. As if the loss of water to the upstream countries is not bad enough, the Sudan’s Merowe Dam was projected to cause flooding that would displace over 50,000 people, and be detrimental to the rich cultural heritage that will be destroyed, but that price seemed paltry to Sudanese who are eager to have the dam that will allow them to increase their electrical volume (Lawler, 2006). Indeed, this is exactly what happened when the Merowe Dam was completed. Over 50,000 people displaced, some protestors were killed, cultural heritage lost, but Sudan doubled its electrical capacity (The battle of the Nile, 2010).
Robert Morley (2012) reported in an article in an October edition of The Trumpet on an explosive announcement by Ethiopia in March 2011. Ethiopia had revealed that it would be construction a massive dam on the Nile. Since 85% of the Nile’s water is generated in Ethiopia, this announcement was highly threatening to Egypt (Morley, 2012). This dam, if built, will drastically reduce the amount of water for Egypt and the Sudan, threatening the lives of their people and the economy
As alluded to earlier, the Nile is essential to the life of Egypt and its people. It provides the water for agriculture, and allows Egyptians to enjoy a high standard of living. By building their dam, Ethiopia would shut down the Nile and have the power to destroy Egypt. According to Morley (2012), Ethiopia is challenging Egypt’s monopoly of the Nile, claiming that the did not sign the 1959 treaty giving Sudan and Egypt almost exclusive rights to use of the Nile, and therefore are not bound to abide by it. They believe their dam is necessary to providing the water and electricity so essential to their lives and those of their neighbors.
Many of the countries of the Nile have formed an alliance, The Nile Basin Initiative. The article The battle of the Nile (2010) informs readers that the Nile Basin Initiative was launched in 1999 by the Nile’s upstream countries, with the goals:
- “(1) To develop the Nile River water resources in an equitable and sustainable manner in order to ensure prosperity, security, and peace for the inhabitants
- (2) To guarantee effective water management and optimal resources use
- (3) To promote cooperation and combined action between member countries
- (4) To combat poverty and promote integration.”
The Nile Basin Initiative hopes to get a new treaty signed soon to give them more power in their struggle for the river’s resources. This has Egypt in arms because they consider that 95% of their water comes from the Nile, while the Nile Basin countries can find water in other places (The battle of the Nile, 2010). But other countries say they are being exploited and undernourished by Egypt and the Sudan’s unfair use of the Nile – the World Bank seems to agree, at least that 46% of Ethiopians are undernourished.
Other than their need for the Nile to nourish their crops, animals, and lives, there is another issue, energy (The battle of the Nile, 2010). Energy shortages anger Americans when their air conditioners won’t work, or they lose power during a major sports event. However, unlike the countries of the Nile Basin Initiative, American economic growth is not presently impacted by energy shortages, even though people grumble as the price of energy goes up. In Ethiopia, it is estimated that they need 20% more energy annually, therefore they are moving to transform themselves into a hydroelectric titan (The battle of the Nile, 2010). These countries believe they simply have to have more access to the water power of the Nile, that they too, and not just Egypt depend on the Nile for their very lives. Despite their demands, it does not appear that they will be able to reach a realistic agreement with Egypt and the Sudan anytime in the foreseeable future (The battle of the Nile, 2010).
Unfortunately it seems that occupants of Western countries are not too concerned about what is happening as regards the Nile and the inhabitants of the countries it moves through. Western countries seem to be concerned about the costs to them if Egypt, an ally country loses control of the water and may not be able to supply some of the needs of their countries. Otherwise, for many Westerners, it seems that “it is only Africa” and without a Nelson Mandela to decry the inequality and the human costs of the countries who are deprived of their fair share of access to the gifts of the Nile, including water and dams to protect them from flooding, the rest of the world will not be bothered to pay too much attention, and the fight will be between the economically weak countries who make up the Nile Basin Initiative and the powers of Sudan and Egypt.