The mega dam in Jinja was meant to give Uganda energy independence, but this was constrained by Britain’s agricultural interests in Egypt.
Old picture of construction on Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam, which began generating power on February 20.
Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The flooding has affected water resources, agriculture and food security, health and sanitation, fisheries, and energy and infrastructure.
Ethiopian Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy Seleshi Bekele (C) attends a meeting with his Egyptian and Sudanese counterparts, in Khartoum, Sudan, 21 December 2019.
EPA-EFE/MARWAN ALI
The Nile Treaties prevent upstream countries from using the waters of the Nile without the consent of those downstream. This results in an Egyptian bias.
Instead of allocating the Nile waters based on a fixed, perpetual water supply Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt must consider changes in weather patterns, among other factors.
The urgency of an agreement to reasonably and equitably share benefits on the Nile Basin can’t be overstated. It would create a a transparent atmosphere in the countries that depend on the Nile.
A canoe ride on a flooded street in Ajegunle, a densely populated area in Lagos, Nigeria.
EPA/George Esiri
Postdoctoral Associate at Department of Earth & Environment, and Southeast Environment Research Center of the Institute of Water and Environment, Florida International University