5.8c Nile - water wars

• Water wars

  • 90% of all countries share water basins with atleast one neighbouring country
  • conflict arises between competing demands of irrigation, energy, industrial, domestic and recreational.
  • disagreements about ownership and rights of river - riparian
• River Nile facts

  • 6700km long crossing 11 countries
  • White Nile - starts near Lake Victoria, more constant but less flow (30% of flow)
  • Blue Nile - main tributary, starts in Ethiopia near Lake Tana
  • Confluence at Khartoum, Sudan
  • seasonal variation of flow poses key challenge to planners and agriculture - susceptible to fluctuations -> ENSO, drought, floods
• Geopolitical issue

  • Transboundary river (exacerbated by colonial rule) with 300 million within Basin - 600 million by 2030
  • Egypt dependent on Nile for 95% of water needs
  • Rwanda + Ethiopia need water for crop irrigation, HEP production and industry in order to develop and reduce poverty
  • Water scarcity likely to increase with population growth and climate change - may result in conflict or tensions
• first Nile Water Agreement 1929

  • between Egypt + Britain (colonial power in Sudan)
  • granted significant water allocations to Egypt and Sudan with only 14% going to other countries
  • Egypt given right of veto on modification in the use of Nile's water
  • led to tensions with upstream countries increasingly harvesting waters to meet needs of growing population and economies.
• second Nile Water Agreement 1959

  • between Egypt and Sudan increasing water allocation further
  • Increase for Sudan due to irrigation needs such as for the Gezira scheme
  • Agreement signed by colonial powers - Ethiopia refused to legitimise
• Nile Basin Initiative 1999

  • enhance cooperation
  • all signed apart from Eritrea
  • working on Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) which promotes integrated management
  • strong opposition by Egypt and Sudan (not signed CFA)
• Grand Renaissance Dam agreement 2015

  • between Ethiopia + Sudan and Egypt discussing terms of Dam
  • did not resolve broader issues of sharing Nile water -> existing tensions between countries as Ethiopia builds + uses Dam