Introduction: Why I chose politics and why the Ethiopian water conflict matters

Welcome to my blog about water and development in Africa!

 

In this blog, I will focus on the political aspects of the continent's water management. I found this theme intriguing for two intersecting reasons. First, questions of water allocation are inherently political because it is essential for our lives, while its distribution is immensely unequal. However, it is not only about drinking; the resource determines regions' and countries' agriculture, industry, and energy supply. Second, as this shows, politics influences every aspect and scale of water usage. It is vital in conflicts or cooperation among countries in shared river basins and crucial in domestic water governance. Colonial legacies, negotiations on water distributions, economic interests and technologies are inherently political, giving me good material for the coming weeks.


My topic will be the 'classic' case study around the conflicts of the Nile Basin between Ethiopia and Egypt. This is because, in 2019, I travelled to Ethiopia, the only Sub-Saharan country I have been to. This journey changed my view of Africa. Although, before it, my imagination of the nature and people of the continent relied on movies and books from the West, I had similar pictures and narratives in my head that Wainaina mocked. One of the things that surprised me was how green Ethiopia is and how much water the country has; it is no surprise that they call it the 'Watertower of Africa'. The basis of the water conflict is that the government wants to use this position to produce energy through the Ethiopian Grand Rennesaince Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile.


Waterfall on the Nile: landscapes like these changed my perspectives about 'dry Africa with only deserts' (Photo by me, 2019)

This dispute is fascinating because it highlights the most essential principles in human ecology that 'the social is embedded in the ecological'. The politics of the transboundary water dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia is deeply influenced by a natural resource. Therefore, an interdisciplinary approach is required in its solution, which does not divide the world into social and human systems. The Nile case study also shows that conflicts over environmental resources will increase because of the changing climate. Despite the significant number of water resources in Ethiopia, similarly to the whole continent, it is affected by unequal temporal precipitation variability due to global warming. As rain flow becomes more unpredictable, governments often build dams to store water for dryer seasons. Besides this and electricity production, the construction of GERD benefits Ethiopia with political leverage on the downstream countries: Egypt and Sudan. However, for Egypt, completing the project could be a disaster as the Nile's water flow sustains over 90% of the country's needs, especially agriculture, while most of the river's water flow comes from the Blue Nile. 


 Nile Basin Map: The grandiose river go through many countries, but most water flow comes from the Blue Nile

However, Africa's changing climate and geophysical landscape are only one reason behind the unresolved conflict between the three countries. In the following weeks, I will focus on other factors that hinder cooperation, starting with the history of water management influenced by colonial treaties. After I elaborate on these challenges, I aim to offer a solution for fair water management for both countries.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dams: benefits for whom?

Image
Hoover Dam: one of the first examples of large water engineering projects considered a 'wonder solution' and national pride The dam construction will likely have fatal consequences for Egypt in terms of decreased sediment and water sources. However, the discourse of the project excludes the local effects of the megaproject, potentially because transboundary conflict and the  picture of water wars keep media consumers more entertained.   In my last blog, I showed that most Ethiopian people want the project's implementation. This is partly due to the nationalist rhetoric of the government that suggests GERD is the answer to  socioeconomic tensions in the country.  According to the government, the 6450 MW of electricity produced by the dam could potentially double the energy production, therefore, could induce   35-40% GDP growth in the following decades . Within its communication, the government often highlights that it will be a game-changer for both the eco...
Read more

Colonial legacies and identities of the GERD conflict

Image
Battle of the Nile: the rule of the British Empire over the Nile still influences water politics In the last posts, I mentioned that the specific geography of the Basin is one of the main reasons for the difficulty of solving the conflict between Ethiopia and Egypt. However, I want to suggest something other than an environmentally deterministic conclusion that ignores social factors. In reality, the  potential solution benefits of sharing and cooperation  are hindered by the region's historical (colonial) legacies. When I asked locals' opinions about GERD during my time in Ethiopia, everyone was enthusiastic and satisfied with the project. They claimed it would 'compensate for the injustices of the past and bring a bright future to all Ethiopians'. This idea of injustice and strike back to Egypt appears in the following video (from 3:50). Ethoiphian leaders want to set the rules after the country's historical marginalisation on managing the water of the Nile. Simul...
Read more

Eleven years of failed negotiations: Why there is no agreement?

Image
So far, this blog has shown two hindrances to cooperation in the Nile basin: lack of trust because of colonial history and the view that considers mega-projects the only solution. From my past writings, it could seem that there are no endeavours from the sides to make a deal. Well, this is not the case. In this post, I will examine past negotiations focusing on why they failed. The first step towards cooperation was the creation of  the Nile Basin Initiative  in 1999 (NBI). The role of this organisation is to create a platform for Nile countries to accomplish cooperative programs together. In early 2011 the initiative had a historical chance to drive collaboration through the creation of the construction of the Border dam at GERD's current location.  The project would have meant that Egypt and Sudan had contributed  to the mega-project in return for its hydroelectrical benefits. However, the prerequisite for the downstream countries was to write a Comprehensive Frame...
Read more