Ethiopia to defy Egypt and build huge Nile dam
30 March, 2011 | By Barry Malone (Reuters)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
colonial-era treaties that gave Egypt and Sudan the lion’s share of the
river’s waters.
However, six of the nine upstream countries — Ethiopia, Kenya,
Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi — have signed a new deal
stripping Egypt of its veto and agreeing to renegotiate how much
water each country is entitled to.
“The Great Nile dam construction is scheduled to commence
presently near the Ethio-Sudan border,” Water and Energy Minister
Alemayehu Tegenu told a news conference. “From this dam alone,
Ethiopia expects to generate 5,250MW.” The Horn of Africa nation
aims to produce 15,000 megawatts (MW) of power within 10 years,
part of a plan to spend $12 billion over 25 years to improve the
country’s power-generating capability.
Alemayehu said Ethiopia would be forced to finance the $4,78 billion
dam from its own coffers and from the sale of government bonds
because Egypt was pressuring donor countries and international
lenders not to fund its dam projects.
POINT OF NO RETURN
“Those bent on deterring the development of the Nile have not yet
changed their obstructionist ways. Alas, Ethiopia’s resolve has now
reached a point of no return,” Alemayehu said.
He said tenders for consultancy contracts would soon be open to
international bidders and that Ethiopian engineers would start work
soon on the dam, expected to take 44 months to complete.
In November, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told Reuters
that Egypt was backing rebel groups in his country because of the
Nile dispute and that if it went to war with upstream countries over the
river it would lose.
Egypt says it will ignore the new deal signed by upstream states, even
though it is now legally binding with six signatures.
Analysts say that the ousting of Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak and
the impending secession of South Sudan have strengthened the case
of the upstream nations.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has not signed the deal and,
when South Sudan becomes independent in July, there will be ten Nile
countries. Analysts expect South Sudan and DRC to support the new
agreement.
Tegenu said the Ethiopian government had commissioned an
independent survey that proved the new dam would benefit Egypt and
Sudan by decreasing siltation in their irrigation projects and by
reducing water wastage.
Under the original pact Egypt, which faces possible water shortages
by 2017, is entitled to 55,5 billion cubic metres a year from the Nile’s
total flow of around 84 billion cubic metres.
Courtesy
Nile Debate Emphasizes Conservation, Water Sharing
Professor Richard Tutwiler of the American University in Cairo
says potential projects in Ethiopia and Sudan could help
preserve Nile waters
29 March, 2011 Yeheyes Wuhib (VOA)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Nile is the world’s longest river, spanning a distance of almost
6,600 kilometers.
It is formed from the White Nile, which originates in the Great Lakes
region of central Africa, and the Blue Nile, which begins at Lake Tana
in Ethiopia. The two rivers meet in Sudan and travel northwards,
flowing through Egypt and seven upstream countries before finally
emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.
Water use issues have long been a source of contention among the
Nile Basin countries, who disagree on what is an equitable distribution
of the river’s waters...More
30 March, 2011 | By Barry Malone (Reuters)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
- ADDIS ABABA (Reuters)
- Ethiopia on Wednesday
said it planned to build a
huge dam on the Nile
despite a long-running row
with Egypt over use of the
river and concern the
dispute may spark a war.
- The nine countries through
which the river passes have
colonial-era treaties that gave Egypt and Sudan the lion’s share of the
river’s waters.
However, six of the nine upstream countries — Ethiopia, Kenya,
Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi — have signed a new deal
stripping Egypt of its veto and agreeing to renegotiate how much
water each country is entitled to.
“The Great Nile dam construction is scheduled to commence
presently near the Ethio-Sudan border,” Water and Energy Minister
Alemayehu Tegenu told a news conference. “From this dam alone,
Ethiopia expects to generate 5,250MW.” The Horn of Africa nation
aims to produce 15,000 megawatts (MW) of power within 10 years,
part of a plan to spend $12 billion over 25 years to improve the
country’s power-generating capability.
Alemayehu said Ethiopia would be forced to finance the $4,78 billion
dam from its own coffers and from the sale of government bonds
because Egypt was pressuring donor countries and international
lenders not to fund its dam projects.
POINT OF NO RETURN
“Those bent on deterring the development of the Nile have not yet
changed their obstructionist ways. Alas, Ethiopia’s resolve has now
reached a point of no return,” Alemayehu said.
He said tenders for consultancy contracts would soon be open to
international bidders and that Ethiopian engineers would start work
soon on the dam, expected to take 44 months to complete.
In November, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told Reuters
that Egypt was backing rebel groups in his country because of the
Nile dispute and that if it went to war with upstream countries over the
river it would lose.
Egypt says it will ignore the new deal signed by upstream states, even
though it is now legally binding with six signatures.
Analysts say that the ousting of Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak and
the impending secession of South Sudan have strengthened the case
of the upstream nations.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has not signed the deal and,
when South Sudan becomes independent in July, there will be ten Nile
countries. Analysts expect South Sudan and DRC to support the new
agreement.
Tegenu said the Ethiopian government had commissioned an
independent survey that proved the new dam would benefit Egypt and
Sudan by decreasing siltation in their irrigation projects and by
reducing water wastage.
Under the original pact Egypt, which faces possible water shortages
by 2017, is entitled to 55,5 billion cubic metres a year from the Nile’s
total flow of around 84 billion cubic metres.
Courtesy
Nile Debate Emphasizes Conservation, Water Sharing
Professor Richard Tutwiler of the American University in Cairo
says potential projects in Ethiopia and Sudan could help
preserve Nile waters
29 March, 2011 Yeheyes Wuhib (VOA)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Nile is the world’s longest river, spanning a distance of almost
6,600 kilometers.
It is formed from the White Nile, which originates in the Great Lakes
region of central Africa, and the Blue Nile, which begins at Lake Tana
in Ethiopia. The two rivers meet in Sudan and travel northwards,
flowing through Egypt and seven upstream countries before finally
emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.
Water use issues have long been a source of contention among the
Nile Basin countries, who disagree on what is an equitable distribution
of the river’s waters...More
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